Valerie, a golden retriever, demonstrates her ability to connect with a Marine at the National Intrepid Center of Excellence.

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Canine-assisted therapies are being used increasingly both by veterans and the civilian community for mental and emotional support. During the past decade, a growing body of scientific research has provided evidence that human–animal interactions can improve social competence and reduce physiological, psychological, and behavioral effects of stress and social isolation. One meta-analysis that evaluated 49 published studies of animal-assisted therapy (AAT), used mainly to target mental health concerns, concluded that AAT is effective for medical well-being, for behavioral outcomes in adults, and for improving the therapy participation of children with autism and related disorders. The study also found that AAT was as effective as other interventions examined in comparison.