Servicemembers who are dealing with physical and mental health challenges, especially PTSD, often find that canine therapy can help. And now, Veterans Moving Forward is working to provide service dogs at no cost to the servicemember.

To discuss the benefits of canine therapy and how to access services, Sarah Bumgardner, AAFMAA Director of Partnerships and Member Engagement, spoke with Dr. Gordon Sumner, President & CEO of Veterans Moving Forward. A Purple Heart and Bronze Star for Valor medal recipient, Sumner is a Retired Army Colonel with a deep passion for helping Veterans in need.

Veterans Moving Forward ensures that servicemembers have access to highly trained service dogs who are a good fit for them. Service dogs have been proven to help servicemembers overcome physical and mental health challenges, and they are especially helpful to those dealing with severe PTSD. 

To find out how servicemembers and Veterans can qualify for a service dog, and for more information on this program, watch the full discussion.

To dive deeper into what VMF does and get a behind-the-scenes look at what resources their amazing services are providing to those who have served, Clifton Brown, AAFMAA’s Vice President of Insurance Operations, recently met with Veterans Moving Forward. Read his account of that visit.

Featured photo courtesy of Veterans Moving Forward.