COTTONWOOD, Ariz. — This Veterans Day, the Verde Valley Humane Society is waiving all adoption fees for veterans to honor the power of service, healing, and second chances for both ends of the leash.
For many veterans, adopting a shelter pet provides companionship, routine, and purpose. The benefits of the bond between human and animal are undeniable, and for veterans in particular, owning or fostering dogs results in less loneliness, more social and physical activity, and improved overall health and quality of life.
Studies have shown that relationships with dogs have reduced PTSD symptom severity, depression, and anxiety, while increasing a sense of purpose, exercise, and improving sleep and mood. For veterans newly transitioning from military service, caring for a pet can help restore a sense of structure, responsibility, and mutual support.
The benefits for shelter animals are reciprocal. These animals seek stability, safety, and a permanent home where they can be cared for. Many shelter pets have experienced their own hardships, like abandonment, neglect, loss of an owner, or prolonged shelter stays. One study reported that veterans had a strong connection with shelter animals who faced such hardships, creating a bond based on mutual resilience and recovery.
For veteran and VVHS board member Dr. Linnea Axman, both service and animal welfare interconnect in a commitment to service, ethical leadership, and community engagement. Axman retired from the U.S. Navy as a Captain (O-6) after 25 years of distinguished active-duty service, leading complex healthcare, education, research, and operational programs around the world.
“The veteran-shelter animal relationship is often described as mutually healing,” said Axman. “Veterans gain companionship, purpose, and emotional support, while animals gain safety, stability, and love. This Veterans Day, don’t just adopt a pet. Gain a friend, a walking partner, a source of comfort, and a devoted companion while giving a shelter animal the loving home it deserves. The bond you create may change two lives, including your own.”
Year-round, VVHS partners with Pets for Patriots, which matches overlooked and hard-to-place shelter animals with veterans and makes adoption more affordable for veterans and military families. Our longest shelter residents are eligible for this program, Butch and Scrunchie, two dogs who have been at the shelter for nearly three years. Hercules, another eligible dog, has been at the shelter for over two ye
Axman invites fellow veterans to visit the shelter for the Veterans Day Adoption Event: “Together, we can enrich our lives through the companionship, loyalty, and unconditional love that pets provide while giving deserving animals a second chance at a loving home.”
Fees will be waived for both dogs and cats. Veterans must show proof of service to qualify.
The shelter will be open from 10:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. de Valley Humane Society is located at 1520 W. Mingus Avenue in Cottonwood. For more information, visit verdevalleyhumane.org or call (928) 634-7387.
