Schumer wants VA to provide dogs to more vets - New York News | NYC Breaking News

Schumer wants VA to provide dogs to more vets

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Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY) is calling on the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to immediately revise a recent directive that will prevent veterans with PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) and other mental and emotional disorders from receiving VA benefits for service dogs.

Schumer is releasing a letter to the VA asking that it rescind its directive.

Veterans with physical impairments can get reimbursed for the cost of having a service dog help them, but a new VA directive is delaying compensation for veterans until further research is completed.

Schumer says conducting more research is appropriate, but he wants veterans with emotional problems to be able to get dogs in the interim.

The VA issued a statement that it hasn't been able to determine a medical benefit for the dogs to veterans with mental illness. The agency says research is needed and should be completed by 2014 to justify the expense.

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