An Example of Our Community Involvement
Veterans Assistance Program For Companion Dogs
Part of VCCA effort is partnering with animal rescue organizations in the Weaver Mountains area to assist Veterans with adopting an animal. It has been shown that having a pet at home combines companionship with having responsibility for another living creature; that responsibility can be instrumental in stopping someone from hurting themselves.
Together both organizations seek to better the lives of our veterans with the assistance of companion dogs.
Our Veterans Program Offers:
- Free Adoption Fee to an approved adopter who has currently or in the past served in the US Military. Each dog is spayed or neutered, microchipped, has Rabies/Bordetella and Parvo/Distemper vaccination, examination by a licensed veterinarian.
- Low Cost Basic Obedience Training through K9 Konnection.
- First Year Annual Wellness Exam and vaccinations through K9 Konnection Licensed Veterinarian.
- All needed supplies to take your new companion home: collar, leash, toys, chews, bowls and transition food.
The Veterans Coalition of Central Arizona (VCCA)
The Veterans Coalition of Central Arizona (VCCA) is a non-profit
organization whose mission is to enlist rural Veterans and their families and our local partners to join forces to improve Veterans’ quality of life, to reduce suicide in our community, and to ensure that Veterans know they are not alone.
K9 Konnection is a nonprofit dog shelter and rescue, and our mission is "to provide care and necessary medical attention for pets waiting to be re-united or re-homed and see that their need to be stimulated mentally, physically and emotionally is fulfilled on a daily basis to the best of our ability”.
Our two programs are shelter and community health and wellness. Through our partnership with VCCA, we assist veterans in finding a forever companion dog through our shelter program. Future assistance can be obtained through our community health and wellness program.
Three Types of Service Dogs
Service animals:
- Are covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and afforded rights to enter public establishments.
- Are trained to assist a single person.
- May live with owners regardless of pet policies under the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973.
- May fly with their disabled owner in the cabin of an aircraft as part of the federal Air Carrier Access Act.
Therapy Animals:
- Provide emotional support or comfort to a number of different people in various settings (e.g., visiting hospital patients, comforting witnesses during court testimony or offering support to trauma survivors).
- Are not considered a service animal under the law and are not covered by or afforded rights through the ADA.
Emotional support animals:
- Provide emotional support through companionship.
- May live with owners regardless of pet policies under the Fair Housing Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Are not considered a service animal under the law and is not covered by or afforded rights through the ADA.
It is important to note these differences. Even though therapy animals and emotional support animals may be very well trained and properly behaved, they are still not qualified service animals and do not have the same access rights.