FAYETTEVILLE (KFSM) -- Solder On Service Dogs, a non-profit that connected veterans to service dogs in Northwest Arkansas, will close for good in the coming months.
Soldier On Service Dogs has provided trained animal services to veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) for over four years.
The decision to close comes as CEO Angie Pratt is stepping down from the organization and selling the property where the dogs were trained.
Veterans looking for a service dog do have other options.
Service Dogs of Distinction, a non-profit organization working to provide quality service dogs for veterans with a variety of service related traumas in Arkansas, southern Missouri, and eastern Oklahoma, is looking to help veterans impacted by Soldier On Service Dogs closing.
"The goal is to help as many veterans as possible," said Marsh Wyatt, co-founder of Service Dogs of Distinction.
"We started this program not to make money, but when we realized how many veterans -- at least 11,000 in Northwest Arkansas alone -- suffer from PTSD".
Service Dogs of Distinction is able to pair dogs with veterans much faster than most organizations because they use shelter, donated and rescue dogs.
"We get young adult dogs who have the characteristics that we think would work, and we put basic obedience on them, then we look for a veteran to match them with."
Veteran Jay Sanders says he is very grateful for his service dog, Ruby.
"She reminds me to take my medicine, she helps me if I get down on the ground, because I have trouble standing back up, and if I got issues she's there to take care of me," he said.
For more information about Service Dogs of Distinction click here.