Sacramento animal shelter offers cat, dog adoption fee waivers for military veterans

The city of Sacramento’s Front Street Animal Shelter offers adoption fee waivers for military veterans seeking to adopt a cat or dog.

The program removes financial barriers to help the mental health of veterans, said Ryan Hinderman, a spokesperson for the Front Street Animal Shelter.

Veterans are offered an adoption fee waiver which can be renewed once every six months at the Front Street Animal Shelter, located in Old Sacramento on 2127 Front Street.

The city of Sacramento requires individuals to provide an identification card, with “veteran” printed on it for verification.

“For our veterans, it’s something we’re proud to be able to do as a thank you for their service,” Hinderman said.

Adopting a pet can have very positive mental health benefits in terms of relieving stress, providing a sense of purpose and safety, said Hinderman.

Post traumatic stress disorder in veterans

Through the adoption fee waiver program, Hinderman said he’s talked to veterans with post traumatic stress disorder who adopt an animal for companionship.

For individuals with PTSD, it is common to experience overwhelming feelings of social isolation, depression and negative thoughts, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Seven percent of veterans will experience post traumatic disorder in their lifetime, according to the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs.

Animals like service dogs have shown significant benefits to veterans with post traumatic stress disorder, according to a study from Purdue University.

In the study, veterans with service animals experienced lower overall symptoms of PTSD, decreased levels of depression, higher levels of satisfaction and psychological well-being. Those with an animal companion also saw a reduction in nightmares, flashbacks and other symptoms directly associated with PTSD.

The animal shelter’s program was born out of the Pets for Vets Act . Passed in 2019, this law prohibits animal shelters in California from charging military veterans adoption fees on cats or dogs.

The Pets for Vets Act was written to assist veterans with PTSD. The psychiatric disorder is more common among recent veterans, with 29% of those who served in Iraq and Afghanistan experiencing symptoms at some point.

Hinderman recalls meeting one veteran who adopted a dog through the program. The veteran told him that while walking up in the middle of the night due to a PTSD flashback, the dog he adopted through the fee waiver calmed him.

“(He said) being able to look over at the dog and see that the dog was calm and not alerting at anything, let them know that everything was okay,” Hinderman said.

Pets from the Front Street Animal Shelter are spayed, neutered, micro-chipped and vaccinated prior to adoption. Hinderman added that the shelter is always looking for homes for their animals, regardless if an individual is a veteran.

“The shelters are full of animals who need homes and have a lot of love to give,” Hinderman said. “Whether someone’s a veteran or not, if they are interested in bringing a new animal into their lives, a shelter is a great place to look.”