Senator Hassan Visits Operation Delta Dog in Hollis

HOLLIS – Senator Maggie Hassan, a member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today visited Operation Delta Dog and learned about its mission to rescue dogs and train them to be service dogs for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), Traumatic Brain Injury, Military Sexual Trauma, and related challenges. During the visit, Senator Hassan toured the facility and spoke with veterans who have been helped by the work of Operation Delta Dog.

“For veterans who experience mental health challenges as a result of their brave service to our country, service dogs can provide an enormous amount of comfort and companionship – which in turn can help reduce symptoms and improve their lives,” said Senator Hassan. “It was an honor to visit Operation Delta Dog and see the vital work that it is doing to connect veterans with the service dogs that they need. The work of Operation Delta Dog represents the collective efforts that we must take to provide veterans with the support that they deserve and have earned, and I will continue working across the aisle in the Senate to bolster mental health services for veterans.”

“We appreciated Senator Hassan’s visit to Operation Delta Dog today, where we discussed our mission and how we work to support veterans,” said Charlotte Troddyn, executive director for Operation Delta Dog. “Senator Hassan understands the importance of providing support to veterans dealing with mental health challenges, and we look forward to continuing to work with her to improve veterans’ quality of life.”

Senator Hassan has been working across the aisle on the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee to strengthen veterans’ mental health care. Last year, the President signed into law a bipartisan bill cosponsored by Senator Hassan to help provide service dogs to veterans with mental health challenges. The House of Representatives also recently passed two of Senator Hassan’s bipartisan bills supporting veterans’ mental health: her bill to designate one week per year as “Buddy Check Week” and her bill to strengthen and codify the VA’s Solid Start Program.

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