Greetings readers! Welcome to the CertaPet weekly newsletter. This edition’s news report takes us to Montana, where a service dog nonprofit is facing financial constraints after Congress rescinded its allotment of funding for a critical program. Read on to learn more.
Dog Tag Buddies Expresses Apprehension After Key Federal Program Is Omitted From 2026 Budget
Dog Tag Buddies (a nonprofit that matches veterans with service dogs) is facing a serious financial threat that experts say could endanger livelihoods and lives if not addressed before the year’s end.
The organization depends on the federal grant called Wounded Warrior Service Dog Program, which accounts for approximately 80% of its operating budget. However, Congress did not include funding for the program in the fiscal 2026 budget. A move that left service-dog providers nationwide preparing for a sudden loss of millions of dollars. The grant is necessary as the VA doesn’t acknowledge or pay for the training of PTSD service dogs, as they do with other types of assistance dogs.
With seven training locations across Montana, Dog Tag Buddies offers a two-year program in which veterans train their own service dogs free of cost. For Army veteran Hollie Koenigsberg (served from 2004 to 2010), who lives with PTSD, the program was transformative.
Her service dog, Zulu, helped her reclaim stability and purpose. “If you had asked me four years ago if I would be here, I would have said there’s no way,” Koenigsberg said.
She credits the program with changing her life, adding that it “helps you realize what you’re capable of and that those wounds that you have, whether they’re mental or even physical, don’t have to be something that defines you and holds you back.”
Executive Director DeeDe Baker said Dog Tag Buddies has helped more than 100 veterans find healing through service-dog partnerships. Research from the National Institutes of Health supports the approach, showing veterans with service dogs experience reduced PTSD and depression symptoms, less isolation, and lower suicidal ideation.
Baker also noted Montana’s unique challenges, saying, “Depending on the numbers you look at, (Montana is) usually in the top four for demographics of veteran population per capita. We are also unfortunately in the top five for death by suicide.”
The Department of Defense grant (established in 2015) has propelled the organization’s growth since 2018. This year alone, $600,000 in funding supported the graduation of 14 service-dog teams, with 20 more in training and 15 applications pending.
Each dog costs about $30,000 to provide, covering veterinary care, food, equipment, travel, and lodging for rural veterans. While the funding was included in the House version of the 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, it was removed in the Senate version.
“It’s not that the funding went away. It’s the law. It’s already a program of record,” Baker said. Without the restoration of funds, Dog Tag Buddies may be forced to cut staff and reduce the number of veterans served, prolonging wait times that already stretch up to two years.
Baker has traveled to Washington, D.C., to advocate for reinstatement and remains hopeful. “If Congress truly supports veterans the way they say they do,” she said, “This is a way they can show it.”
Source: KRTV
CertaPet’s Thoughts on This Week’s News
Budget cuts for programs like Dog Tag Buddies won’t just affect balance sheets; they might also lead to putting veterans’ lives at risk. When federal funding is pulled back, the burden shifts to communities and individuals who are already stretched thin. Local businesses, donors, and advocates can help bridge the gap temporarily by supporting nonprofits directly, while urging lawmakers to restore critical funding. Here at CertaPet, we firmly believe in the irreplaceable role that emotional support animals and service dogs play in their owners’ lives; so we hope that major cuts won’t affect organizations that are fundamental to training assistance animals.
Getting a Psychiatric Service Dog (PSD) as part of your treatment care plan has never been easier. If you’re living with emotional or mental health challenges, a PSD could ease your symptoms and help you live a happier, fuller life. If you’re ready to start the process, take our 5-minute pre-screening test for free. We’ll connect you with a licensed mental health professional, who will have a consultation with you. Then, if you qualify, you’ll get your PSD letter in no time.