Pawsitivity Service Dogs for Veterans was founded in 2012 with a simple but powerful mission: to train service dogs for U.S. military veterans. Based in St. Paul, the nonprofit provides professionally trained service dogs at no cost to veterans living with PTSD and other disabilities.
What began as work with therapy dogs for children with autism soon revealed a broader opportunity. “We were surprised by how much the dogs helped the parents,” Executive Director Tom Coleman explains. “Especially with PTSD. Some of those parents were veterans, and that’s how we identified the need.”
For Tom, the mission is also personal. “My dad and two of my uncles were veterans,” he says. “One of my uncles experienced PTSD from Vietnam. Being part of this process is incredibly rewarding.”
Today, Pawsitivity focuses exclusively on service dogs for veterans, pairing highly trained dogs with individuals who meet the ADA definition of a disability.
What Makes a Service Dog Different
Service dogs are often misunderstood, especially when compared to therapy dogs. According to Tom, the distinction matters.
“A service dog works for one person with a recognized disability,” he says. “A therapy dog can visit hospitals or schools to help many people, but they don’t have public access rights like service dogs do.”
That difference is why the public is asked not to pet working service dogs. “Dogs are completely focused on the veteran,” Tom explains. “Petting them can interrupt what they’re trained to do. If you’re told no, it’s about respect for the work that dog is doing.”
How Dogs Help Veterans With PTSD
The dogs trained through Pawsitivity are taught to notice subtle physical changes that veterans may not immediately recognize in themselves. “PTSD isn’t just emotional. It shows up physically,” Tom says. “Changes in breathing, cortisol levels, and small tremors. The dog is trained to notice those things.”
When a dog detects early signs of distress, it alerts the veteran so they can begin coping strategies before symptoms intensify. Over time, that awareness becomes shared. “The relationship leverages biofeedback,” Tom explains. “Long-term, veterans start recognizing the signals on their own.”
These dogs also provide physical grounding, similar to therapy-based calming techniques. Some are trained to carry medication or apply pressure to help the veteran regain composure in public or stressful environments. This is why dogs that help with PTSD must undergo extensive, individualized training.
Training Takes Time and a Community
Training a service dog takes one to two years and involves careful evaluation. Pawsitivity works with both rescue dogs and purpose-bred dogs, with Labradors and Golden Retrievers often showing the highest success rates.
Not every dog completes the program. “Some dogs just aren’t cut out for service work,” Tom says. “That’s part of the process.”
According to Congressional estimates, training a service dog costs about $25,000, covering veterinary care, food, training, and long-term evaluation. “Finding veterans isn’t the challenge,” Tom notes. “Funding the program is.”
He adds, “It takes a village to train a service dog. We’re all in this together.”
How the Community Can Help
Minnesotans play a major role in sustaining the program. “People here really step up,” Tom says. “They want to help.”
Community members can support Pawsitivity through financial donations, including gifts made in honor of a loved one or a dog. These contributions directly support Minnesota service dogs and allow the organization to serve more veterans.
For Tom, the impact goes beyond each individual placement. “Every time a veteran sees another veteran with a PTSD service dog, it helps them recognize they might need support, too,” he says. “That’s how it keeps paying forward.”