Referred to the Committee on the Judiciary, and in addition to the Committees on Armed Services, and Veterans' Affairs, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
This bill establishes a federal grant program to help pay for medical expenses of working dogs who have served in the military, federal law enforcement, or as service dogs for veterans and retired federal officers. The Attorney General would administer grants of up to $575,000 per year to eligible nonprofit organizations that specialize in caring for these retired working dogs and providing financial assistance to their owners. The bill recognizes that retired working dogs—including the roughly 1,600 military dogs currently serving—often require significant medical care after they leave active duty, creating financial hardship for their former handlers or adoptive families. Grant recipients must be nonprofits that dedicate at least 70 percent of their spending directly to helping with these dogs' medical costs. The program would run for five fiscal years total, with the Attorney General required to report annually to Congress on how many dogs were assisted and the average medical expenses per dog.
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