(U.S. Senate) – U.S. Senators Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), Chairman and Ranking Member of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, today introduced a bipartisan resolution marking September 20^th as National Service Dog Day in honor of service dogs across the country.

“Service dogs play an incredible role in helping folks—especially our nation’s veterans—heal wounds both seen and unseen,” said Tester. “Designating a day in their honor allows us to recognize their service, and celebrate the lasting contributions these four-legged heroes have on the lives of so many.”

“Service dogs provide life-saving assistance, help veterans with disabilities regain their independence and offer companionship and support to our nation’s heroes,” said Moran. “Recognizing National Service Dog Day is a way to raise awareness about the unique training and tasks that service dogs perform to enable veterans with disabilities to live life to the fullest.”

There are an estimated tens of thousands of service dogs across the United States assisting individuals with a wide-range of disabilities and ailments. A service dog is defined as a dog which have been specifically trained to conduct actions for a person suffering from a disability. These can include seeing eye dogs, seizure alert and response dogs for people with epilepsy, and actions to assist individuals suffering from mental health conditions such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

“Service dogs provide invaluable assistance to disabled veterans with the greatest support needs, allowing them to live more independent lives in their communities,” said Associate Executive Director of Government Relations for Paralyzed Veterans of America Heather Ansley. “We appreciate the efforts of Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester and Ranking Member Jerry Moran to recognize the important contributions these animals make to the everyday lives of people with disabilities.”

“To put it simply, Service Dogs save lives. K9s For Warriors has the privilege every day to see the impact a service dog has on a veteran. With a battle buddy by their side, the veteran returns to a life of dignity and independence,” said K9s For Warriors CEO Carl Cricco. “Thank you Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester and Ranking Member Jerry Moran for playing such a critical role in helping to highlight the lifesaving work of all service dogs across the country.”

You can read the full resolution HERE.