Our Mission

To enhance the physical and psychological quality of life for Veterans and First Responders by providing highly-trained mobility assistance service dogs and psychiatric (PTSD) service dogs  at no cost to our clients.

SMSD primarily serves Veterans and First Responders with physical disabilities. When canine inventory allows, we will serve Veterans and First Responders with psychological disabilities.

Veteran applicants from any military branch and First Responder applicants with service such as a Police Officer, Firefighter, Paramedic, Emergency Medical Technician or Rescuer are eligible to apply.

For more information, review the FAQs or contact the Client Liaison at suzy.k@smokymountainservicedogs.org.

Our Beliefs

We believe that through appropriate utilization of an approved, highly-trained service dog, individuals with physical and psychological disabilities can often become increasingly self-sufficient and independent.

We believe that a large percentage of disabled individuals can experience a higher level of societal and community involvement and acceptance through effective use of a service dog.

We believe that it takes community involvement to insure the success of Smoky Mountain Service Dogs and our clients. The contributions of individuals and groups within the community will be welcome, appreciated, and honored.

We believe that positive reinforcement is the best form of service dog training and we shall remain committed to training our service dogs in a way that encourages trust on all levels.

Helpful Links

Assistance Dogs International

Save A Warrior

Department of Veteran Affairs – Make the Connection