He was inspired after meeting a golden retriever named Tuesday, who was assigned to assist Luis Montalvan, an intelligence officer wounded while in Iraq.   According to Franken, Montalvan told him that if it were not for Tuesday, he would have never attended the presidential inauguration.

Having visited troops in Afganistan and Iraq, as well as wounded veterans at Walter Reed and Bethesda, Franken has seen first hand the effects war has had on these young people.  

Franken noted that it costs upwards of $25,000 per dog to be trained and placed with a veteran.  These are some of the benefits a service dog can provide:

    Alert when they detect a physical change such as an     increase in heartbeat or respiration.
    Provide companionship for vets experiencing emotional distress.
    Encourage people to approach a veteran, rather than avoiding the person in a wheelchair.
    
    To voice your opinion on Senator Franken’s goal to pass legislation to fund service dogs for veterans, contact him at info@franken.senate.gov or by phone at 202-224-5641.