What Veterans With Dogs does

Veterans With Dogs is a UK registered charity (Charity No. 1161554) and company limited by guarantee (Company No. 08443724), founded in 2012 and headquartered in Exeter, Devon. It trains and places assistance dogs for UK Armed Forces and Merchant Navy veterans living with complex mental health conditions — primarily PTSD, complex trauma, anxiety, depression, and social isolation — and operates a secondary Support PAWS™ programme that uses trained community dogs to support military children in schools. The charity's core technology is a positive, reward-based dog-training methodology accredited by Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK) and aligned with Assistance Dogs International (ADI) standards, delivered through a structured PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) programme that combines careful veteran-dog matching, residential training, trauma-informed mental health support, and long-term follow-up. An Owner Trained Pathway allows veterans with their own suitable dog to participate, and a wider volunteer ecosystem of puppy socialisers, respite carers, and volunteer dog trainers underpins the supply of trained dogs.

The charity operates a free-to-beneficiary model: all assistance dog services are provided at no cost to veterans, who bear only ongoing care costs (food, insurance, veterinary care). Its go-to-market is sales-led in the sense that veterans enter through a structured multi-step application process (Register of Interest, Initial Review, Meet and Greet Day, Full Application, Home Assessment, Approval). Reported 2025 outcomes include 108 veterans supported through PALS™, 200 military children reached via Support PAWS™, and self-reported clinical outcomes including 94% improved mental health within six months, 92% greater confidence managing mental health, 87% reduced social isolation, and 75% measurable improvement on validated PCL-5/GAD-7 instruments.

Revenue is generated entirely through charitable fundraising across seven disclosed streams: individual one-off and monthly donations, challenge events (runs, treks, Ultra Challenges, skydiving), philanthropic gifts from high-net-worth donors, trust and foundation grants (including the Veterans Foundation), corporate partnerships (Forthglade, easyJet, Clarity Environmental, GE Aerospace), and legacy giving. Stripe processes donations and Google Analytics / reCAPTCHA support digital operations. The organisation is governed by a Board of Trustees with deep military, NHS, Guide Dogs, and Royal British Legion representation, and is staffed by 11–50 employees.

Name

Veterans With Dogs

Legal name

Veterans With Dogs

Website

https://veteranswithdogs.org.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Veterans With Dogs is a UK charity founded in 2012 that trains and places assistance dogs for UK Armed Forces and Merchant Navy veterans living with PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and depression, and delivers a schools programme (Support PAWS™) for military children. Services are accredited by Assistance Dogs UK and aligned with Assistance Dogs International standards, and provided free of charge to beneficiaries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Veteran Assistance Dog Services

NAICS

Pet Care (except Veterinary) Services (812910), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (62431)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Veterinary Charity Clinics & Medical Aid (BPAGAIAD)

Keywords

• Assistance dog training
• Veteran mental health
• PTSD support services
• Trauma-informed care
• Canine partnership programmes

Headquarters

HQ city

Exeter

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-off or monthly donations from individuals supporting the charity's work to train assistance dogs and deliver programmes.
2. Regular/Monthly Giving: Recurring donations providing reliable funding to help the charity plan ahead and support more veterans each year.
3. Fundraising Events: Challenge events including runs, treks, Ultra Challenges, skydiving, and community fundraising activities.
4. Philanthropic Gifts: Multi-year gifts, single donations, Donor Advised Funds, and legacy gifts from high-net-worth individuals.
5. Trust and Foundation Funding: Support from trusts and foundations providing funding for assistance dog partnerships and family support programmes.
6. Corporate Partnerships: Partnerships with businesses including employee fundraising, challenge events, employee giving, puppy sponsorship, and events/engagement.
7. Legacy Giving: Gifts left in wills to support veterans in the future, providing long-term sustainable funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Veterans With Dogs is a UK registered charity that trains and places assistance dogs with UK Armed Forces and Merchant Navy veterans living with complex mental health challenges such as PTSD, trauma, anxiety, and depression. Its core offering is the PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) Programme, a structured residential training pathway in which veterans are carefully matched with dogs and trained together, supported by long-term trauma-informed follow-up. The charity also runs the Support Paws™ schools programme for military children, an Owner Trained Pathway, and volunteer puppy socialiser and trainer programmes.

Product overview

Veterans With Dogs offers a suite of services built around assistance dog partnerships for veterans with complex mental health challenges. The core offering is the PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) Programme, which provides structured residential training where veterans are carefully matched with assistance dogs trained to recognize signs of distress and provide grounding and reassurance. The organization also operates the Support Paws™ schools programme for military children, an Owner Trained Pathway for veterans with their own suitable dogs, and various volunteer programmes including puppy socialisers, respite care, and volunteer dog trainers. The ecosystem is held together by long-term, trauma-informed support and ongoing guidance for all partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills): The foundation programme for every partnership. A structured, supported journey where the veteran and dog train together, developing trust, communication, and practical skills.
• Support Paws™

Products and services

• PALS™ (Partner Animal Life Skills) Programme Structured partnership programme where veterans and dogs train together through careful matching, residential training, and ongoing trauma-informed support, developing trust, communication, and practical skills to qualify as an accredited assistance dog partnership.
• Assistance Dog Partnerships

Quantifiable outcome

• 94% of veterans report improved mental health within six months of being paired with an assistance dog
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ForthglademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner providing natural meals and treats for puppies in training. Supports the nutritional wellbeing of future assistance dogs from the start of their journey.
• easyJet (Veteran and Reserve Forces Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate employee network partnering with Veterans With Dogs. Organises fundraising events including Brighton 10K and London Marathon to support veterans with PTSD.
• Clarity EnvironmentalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner sponsoring puppies in training. Attracted by the small size of the charity where every penny is appreciated and wisely spent.
• GE Aerospace (Veterans Network)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCorporate partner through GE Aerospace Veterans Network sponsoring a service dog to provide life-changing support to veterans who have served.
• Armed Forces CovenantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPledged support for the Armed Forces community, demonstrating commitment to serving veterans. Partnership reflects shared values in supporting those who have served.
• Assistance Dogs UK (ADUK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccreditation body for assistance dog organisations in the UK. Provides quality assurance and standards compliance for the charity's training and welfare practices.
• Assistance Dogs International (ADI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational body setting standards for assistance dog organisations. Veterans With Dogs is aligned with ADI standards.
• Fundraising RegulatorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegulatory body ensuring ethical fundraising practices. Charity is committed to compliance with fundraising standards.
• COBSEO (Confidential OMBudsmann & Browne Educational)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMembership federation for charities and benevolent funds supporting the Armed Forces community. Provides network and standards for the sector.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• America's VetDogs: US nonprofit affiliated with Guide Dogs for the Blind, training guide and service dogs for veterans with disabilities including PTSD. Comparable mission focus on veterans, similar ADI-aligned standards, and charity-funded model.
• K9s For Warriors: US nonprofit providing service dogs to military veterans with PTSD and other trauma-related conditions. The closest international peer in mission — serving veterans with mental health needs through assistance dog partnerships, donation-funded, with strong outcome reporting.
• Canine Partners: UK charity training assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities. Closely comparable operating model — charity status, ADUK accreditation, volunteer puppy socialisers, multi-year training cycle, and donation-funded free service delivery.
• Support Dogs: UK charity training assistance dogs for people with disabilities including autism, seizure and physical disability needs. Direct peer in the UK assistance dog charity space, with similar ADUK accreditation, volunteer-based puppy socialisation pipeline, and reliance on donations.
• Dog A.I.D. (Assistance In Disability): UK charity training assistance dogs for people with physical disabilities and autism. Comparable peer in terms of small UK charity scale, owner-trained pathway model, ADUK membership, and donation-led funding.

Broad incumbents

• Guide Dogs for the Blind Association: The UK's largest assistance dog charity. Operates at much greater scale with broader mission (visual impairment primarily), but overlaps on ADUK accreditation, puppy socialisation pipeline, and donation-led funding model — competing for the same donor and volunteer pools.

Others

• Combat Stress: UK charity providing specialist mental health treatment for veterans with PTSD, anxiety, and depression. Not an assistance dog organisation, but a competing provider of veteran mental health services that draws on the same donor pool and addresses the same beneficiary population.
• Help for Heroes: Large UK military charity supporting wounded veterans' recovery. Not an assistance dog provider, but a major competitor for veteran-focused charitable donations and corporate partnership attention in the UK Armed Forces community.

Emerging players

• Medical Detection Dogs: UK charity training dogs to detect diseases and support medical conditions. Comparable ADUK/ADI-aligned charity structure, donation-funded, with similar volunteer puppy pipeline — though focused on medical detection rather than mental health support.
• Pets As Therapy: UK charity providing therapeutic pet visits to hospitals, hospices, schools, and care homes. Adjacent rather than direct overlap, but relevant as a UK nonprofit using animal-assisted intervention for wellbeing outcomes, sharing similar volunteer and donation dynamics.

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/veteranswdogs
• Facebookfacebook.com/veteranswithdogs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/veterans-with-dogs

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Veterans With Dogs