{"id":787250,"date":"2026-05-10T20:24:15","date_gmt":"2026-05-10T20:24:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/787250\/"},"modified":"2026-05-10T20:24:15","modified_gmt":"2026-05-10T20:24:15","slug":"san-antonio-nonprofit-graduates-3-service-dogs-for-veteran-care","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/787250\/","title":{"rendered":"San Antonio nonprofit graduates 3 service dogs for veteran care"},"content":{"rendered":"

SAN ANTONIO<\/strong> \u2013 Graduation season isn\u2019t just for people. Three four-legged graduates earned their certificates Saturday, completing more than two years of training to become service dogs for veterans.<\/p>\n

Each dog walked the stage with their new partner. Tails were wagging as new handlers took the leash officially for the first time.<\/p>\n

Trainers and veterans spent more than two years preparing the dogs, teaching them more than 100 commands designed to help with daily living and mental health support.<\/p>\n

\u2018Warrior helping Warrior\u2019<\/p>\n

The dogs were trained through Paws for Purple Hearts<\/a>, a nonprofit that pairs service dogs with veterans. What makes the program unique, according to Southwest Regional Site Manager Claire Richardson, is who does the training.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe instructors are also teaching other veterans who are in our therapeutic programming how to train the service dog,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cSo it\u2019s directly Warrior helping Warrior impact.\u201d<\/p>\n

The assistance dogs are trained to support veterans in a range of ways, from mobility assistance to grounding them during a post-traumatic stress disorder episode.<\/p>\n

A four-year wait, a life-changing bond<\/p>\n

For Kimberly Beasley, a canine assistant mental health therapist, the moment was four years in the making. Beasley said she waited that long to receive her dog, Ume, and will now bring her to a Tampa office to work directly with veterans.<\/p>\n

\u201cUtilizing a dog like Ume in my practice, she\u2019ll be sitting alongside me,\u201d Beasley said. \u201cShe can perform some of the commands like lay on, which involves the deep pressure therapy that they enjoy a lot of the times, especially when anxiety is high, and those PTSD symptoms are kicking in.\u201d<\/p>\n

Beasley said the difference between practicing therapy with and without a dog is noticeable from the very first session.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve actually done therapy without a dog and with a dog, and having that canine present helps sometimes break the ice, helps bring down some of that anxiety, and makes it a little bit more comfortable to be able to discuss some of these harder things that they go through and that they talk about,\u201d Beasley said.<\/p>\n

Veterans or mental health professionals interested in applying to receive a service or facility dog can click here<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

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