BILLINGS, Mont., Sept. 10, 2026. Twenty-five years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, sent a generation of Americans into uniform, Dog Tag Buddies is marking National Service Dog Month and National Suicide Prevention Month together this September. The two observances converge directly in the work of Dog Tag Buddies, Montana’s first and only Assistance Dogs International (ADI) accredited veteran service dog nonprofit.
Since 2015, Dog Tag Buddies has matched veterans with rescue dogs through a two-year training program, provided entirely at no cost to veterans and their families. The organization’s “training at both ends of the leash” model trains veterans to train their own service dogs, addressing both the physical and psychological effects of military service, including post-traumatic stress (PTS).
The observance carries added weight this year. According to the Department of Veterans Affairs’ 2025 National Veteran Suicide Prevention Annual Report, 6,398 veterans died by suicide in 2023, an average of more than 17 veterans a day. Separate research estimates that 23 percent of military members and veterans who served after September 11, 2001, live with PTS.
A study published in June 2024 in JAMA Network Open, the largest nationwide trial of its kind, followed 156 veterans and military members with PTS over three months. Those paired with a trained service dog showed significantly reduced PTS symptom severity, lower anxiety and depression, and less social isolation than those receiving usual care alone.
“Twenty-five years ago, we sent a generation to war. Today, many of them are still fighting battles no one else can see,” said DeeDe Baker, founder and executive director of Dog Tag Buddies. “A trained service dog does not replace clinical care, but the research is clear that it changes outcomes. Our veterans train these dogs themselves, and in that process, they find structure, purpose, and a reason to get up in the morning.”
Each veteran is matched with a dog Dog Tag Buddies has already sourced and vetted, not one they bring with them. Occupational therapy is woven into the training itself, helping veterans build new strategies for daily challenges as they learn to work with their dog. Staff trained in trauma-informed and adapted communication approaches guide every team through the same certification path, from the AKC Community Canine evaluation to ADI’s Public Access Test.
Dog Tag Buddies also co-founded and leads the Veteran Service Dog Coalition (VSDC), a national alliance of nearly 30 organizations across more than 20 states. While Dog Tag Buddies trains both ends of the leash, the coalition spotlights the human end through collaboration, advocacy, research opportunities, education, and support for veteran service dog programs nationwide.
Veterans, family members, and media who would like to learn more about the program, request an interview, or arrange a visit to Dog Tag Buddies in Billings, Montana may contact the organization using the information below.
