SOLDIERS BEST FRIEND APPLICATION GRIC 2017.PDF

Last updated: 01/17/2017
Page 1
General information
Organization Soldier's Best Friend
Contact First name Brenda
Contact Last name Meir
Contact e-mail brenda@soldiersbestfriend.org
Contact phone number 623-218-6486
Address
Street 14505 W. 75th Avenue
City Peoria
State AZ
ZIP Code 85381
From what tribe is the organization requesting the grant?
Gila River Indian Community
Total grant amount request
100,000
The Gila River Indian Community offers multi-year awards. If your organization is
requesting a multi-year grant for this project or program from the Gila River
Indian Community, enter the amount to be requested each year.
Amount
50,000
1 of 2

Year 1 (Gila River Indian Community Grants Only)
Year 2 (Gila River Indian Community Grants Only) 50,000
Year 3 (Gila River Indian Community Grants Only)
Year 4 (Gila River Indian Community Grants Only)
Year 5 (Gila River Indian Community Grants Only)
2 of 2


Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Cover Sheet
Municipality Information
1. Date of Application: 2/24/2017 (NOTE: Click or use up/down arrow keys to move among
fields)
2. Name of City, Town or County: Maricopa County
3. Mayor (City or Town) or Board of Supervisor’s Chairman (County): Denny Barney, Chairman
4. Mailing Address: 301 W Jefferson St 10th Floor
5. City: Phoenix State: Arizona Zip Code: 85003
6. Acknowledgement of Submission by Authorized Municipality Representative:
Typed Name/Title: Melody Henderson, Administrative Coordinator Signature:
Applicant Information
7. Department/Organization Name: Soldier’s Best Friend
8. Is this a 501c non-profit Organization? No Yes If yes, attach IRS Determination Letter
9. Application Contact Person: Brenda Meir Title: Director of Operations
10. Phone Number: 623-218-6486
11. Mailing Address: 14505 N. 75th Avenue
12. City: Peoria State: Arizona Zip Code: 85381
13. Email Address: brenda@soldiersbestfriend.org Website Address: https://soldiersbestfriend.org
Project Information
14. Project Name: Service/Therapeutic Dog Training Program
15. Purpose of Grant: Soldier’s Best Friend delivers an innovative program complementary to
veteran’s medical treatment that assists in improving the overall mental and physical wellness of
participants
16. Priority Funding Area Healthcare
17. Annual amount requested $50,000
18. Number of years that funding is 2
requested
19. Total amount requested (annual $100,000
amount x number of years)
20. Has your organization received past $50,000, awarded in 2015
funding from GRIC? If yes, list each year $25,000, awarded in 2013
and amount
21. Geographic area served State of Arizona
For Office Use Only:
Data Entry Receipt Evaluation
Outcome Approval Recommended/Amount $ Denial

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Narrative
Please structure your proposal to provide the following information in the order indicated. Provide the narrative
in paragraph form in the text field provided. Please be thorough but strive for brevity.
1. Briefly describe the organization’s history, mission and goals.
The mission of Soldier’s Best Friend is to provide U.S. military veterans living with combat-related
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) with Service or Therapeutic
Companion Dogs, most of which are rescued from local shelters. The veteran and dog train together
to build a trusting relationship that saves two lives at once and inspires countless others.
Soldier’s Best Friend was founded in 2011 by John Burnham DVM, a licensed veterinarian and son of
a World War II veteran. Dr. Burnham created Soldier’s Best Friend to give back to those men and
women who selflessly serve our country. Seeing the healthy, joyful interactions between some of his
clients who were combat veterans and their dogs, Dr. Burnham researched the impact of
service/therapeutic companion dogs on veterans and was inspired to develop the Soldier’s Best
Friend program to serve local veterans living with PTSD or TBI. Since our inception in 2011, 160
veteran/dog teams have graduated from the program, and we are currently training an additional 46
teams.
Our Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog program serves as a parallel support plan to each
applicant’s medical treatment and aims to lessen the participating veterans’ symptoms of PTSD
(anxiety, depression, flashbacks, reclusive behavior, nightmares, uneasiness in public and suicidal
thoughts) or TBI (mood and behavioral problems, memory loss, physical pain, and communication
challenges) so they can lead full, productive lives. Soldier’s Best Friend serves veterans, free of
charge, throughout Arizona, providing training in the Phoenix metropolitan area, as well as Tucson,
Prescott, Sierra Vista and Flagstaff.
2. If the applying organization is non-municipal or a non-profit 501c, please describe your relationship with
Arizona municipalities including past and present support, whether it be through partnerships,
collaborations, in-kind contributions, grants, tax-based funding or other. Describe the supporting
municipality’s role in this project. If the applying organization is a municipality governmental sub-
division please enter the text “Not applicable.”
In 2016, Soldier’s Best Friend built a dedicated training facility on the grounds of our headquarters in
an unincorporated area of Maricopa County. Therefore, we worked closely with representatives of
Maricopa County on the permitting of the new structure. Maricopa County’s role in this project would
be to serve as our municipal sponsor. In addition, two representatives from the City of Peoria
recently came out for a site visit of our new facility. We worked with their Human Services Coordinator

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Grant Cycle 2017
to put a listing in their Veteran Directory. We plan to work with The City of Peoria over the coming
year to spread news about our program. In 2015, we worked with the City of Phoenix to sponsor our
application to the Gila River Community.
3. Describe the proposed project and planned goals and activities.
Soldier’s Best Friend has a goal to help veterans lessen the symptoms of their PTSD and/or TBI
through our Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog Program. The symptoms of PTSD and TBI can be
completely debilitating for the veteran and can lead to suicidal thoughts, an inability to be in public
places, strained relationships and physical pain. Lessening the symptoms has two primary impacts
on the veterans:
1) Improvement of their quality of life by increasing their independence as they become comfortable
outside their homes, re-engage with friends and family, and are able to find new employment
opportunities.
2) Reduction of the likelihood of adverse health outcomes, including suicide attempts, over-reliance/abuse
of medication, injury-inflicting falls, and depression.
Specifically, Soldier’s Best Friend’s Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog Program pairs an
appropriate (and vetted) rescued dog with the veteran and then trains the team together until the dog
qualifies for service or therapeutic dog status. Once accepted to the program, the veteran's specific
needs and circumstances dictate the type of dog and level of training needed. The pair attends
custom-designed training sessions twice a week, completing the training within approximately 6-9
months.
In addition to obedience and public outing training, each veteran selects a minimum of three tasks
that his or her dog will learn during training that will play a crucial role in lessening the veteran’s
symptoms of PTSD or TBI. Examples include alerting the veteran when strangers are walking up to
them from behind, providing tactile distraction to disrupt symptoms during a flashback or rising
anxiety, or bracing for a veteran who has balance challenges. Once these tasks are chosen,
professional trainers custom design a program for the veteran and carefully train and monitor the
veteran/dog team. Soldier’s Best Friend coordinates the entire “hands-on” training process from
beginning to end - completely free of charge to our veteran participants.
4. Describe how the proposed project satisfies one or more of the priority funding areas identified by the
Gila River Indian Community.
Soldier’s Best Friend works exclusively with combat veterans who are living with the medical
conditions of PTSD or TBI. By providing these veterans with service/therapeutic companion dogs, we
are helping to alleviate the debilitating symptoms of their medical conditions and, thus, improving their
overall health. We, therefore, fall within your healthcare priority area.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
The service/therapeutic companion dogs in our program have a tremendous impact on the health and
lives of their veteran owners and entire families. In 2016, Soldier’s Best Friend conducted a survey of
program graduates. The survey, which had a 48% response rate, asked four questions to gauge the
impact a service/therapeutic companion dog has had on their daily life. Excluding respondents who
found a particular question not applicable to their situation, the results were as follows:
1 98% reported that their service dog has helped reduce their symptoms of PTSD;
2 100% who had previous suicidal thoughts said that having a service dog has reduced their
suicidal thoughts;
3 67% said having their service dog has reduced their need for medications; and
4 98% reported that having a service dog has improved their overall quality of life.
Participating veteran testimonials provide examples of how Soldier’s Best Friend’s program impacts
their health:
Fred, a Marine veteran: “I was having flashbacks 5-6 times a day, taking medication, seeing a
psychologist weekly and a psychiatrist monthly. Then I heard about Soldier’s Best Friend. I started
training with my dog Axle and we progressed quickly through the program. I’m not sure how it
happened, but my symptoms significantly decreased. My flashbacks reduced to 2-3 times a week. I
am no longer on medication. My psychiatrist told me we no longer need to meet monthly, once every
six months will suffice. Furthermore, I no longer see my psychologist on a regular schedule.”
Brian, a Navy veteran: “My ability to tolerate the symptoms associated with the disabilities has
drastically increased thanks to this program. I am able to do things which I haven’t done in years . . .
The dedication, knowledge, and selflessness of all (Soldier’s Best Friend) staff has done more than
improve my life. They saved it.”
Timothy, an Army veteran: “Looking back on things, if I hadn’t had the dog, I would have killed myself.
I have a fairly normal life now.”
Jim, an Air Force veteran: “Since introducing Lily into my life, I no longer dwell on the thought of
ending my life.”
5. Identify the needs/problems to be addressed, target population and number of people to be served by
the project.
PROBLEMS ADDRESSED: As more veterans return from war zones, the number of Arizonans living
with PTSD and TBI continues to increase. It is currently estimated that more than 120,000 Arizonan
veterans have either PTSD or TBI. With limited federal resources available, additional help is needed
to provide on-going support for those who have served our country so selflessly. As a community-
based resource, Soldier's Best Friend is able to deliver an innovative program complementary to

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
veteran’s medical treatment with a goal to lessen the applicants' risk for hospitalization,
homelessness, incarceration, domestic abuse, and/or suicide. Suicide, in particular, is a public health
issue for veterans. In 2014, VA.gov reported that 20 veterans died from suicide each day and
accounted for 18% of all deaths from suicide among U.S. adults.
Substance abuse, drug dependency, and the healthcare system being over-taxed are additional
community health-related issues. “The AZ Health Survey: Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Problems among Arizona Veterans,” a 2011 report prepared by the Southwest Interdisciplinary
Research Center and Arizona State University’s Center for Violence Prevention and Community
Safety, says “The number of veterans and particularly the potential number of veterans returning from
the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan to Arizona presents a serious challenge to the state’s
intervention and treatment resources in dealing with these substance abuse and mental health
problems. The impact on individuals of serving in a combat zone, the rates of TBI, PTSD, substance
misuse and other behavioral issues they often face, will present challenges to Arizona’s systems of
health care, behavioral health care, substance abuse treatment and criminal justice unless proper
awareness and preparation are undertaken. The resources of Veterans Affairs cannot be relied upon
as the sole response to the challenge . . . The potential for the compounded risk of a co-occurring
disorder (substance abuse/dependence and mental illness) is alarming. Notably, these veterans are
continuing to come home and need services. The broad community of health care, behavioral health
care and substance abuse treatment providers must be called upon to respond to this emerging
problem.”
TARGET POPULATION: Soldier’s Best Friend serves military veterans who have combat-related PTSD
and/or TBI. Approximately 80% of our participants are male. Since we serve veterans of all wars, the
ages of our participants vary greatly, with roughly the following breakdown: 18-34 years old (36%),
35-55 years old (45%) and 56 years old or older (19%). The majority of our participants live in and are
trained in the greater Phoenix metropolitan area. We also provide training in Tucson, Flagstaff,
Prescott and Sierra Vista.
NUMBER TO BE SERVED: We have a goal to serve 100 veterans in both 2017 and 2018.
6. Define the project as a new or continuing program.
The Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog program is a continuing program; however, with the opening of our
new dedicated training facility in September 2016, we are now able to train a greater number of veterans each
year.
7. Provide a brief timeline including start and finish dates. Indicate if the timeline is flexible.
Each veteran/dog team attends custom-designed training sessions twice a week, completing the
training within approximately 6-9 months. Upon program graduation, the veteran and dog team
continues to receive on-going support and re-qualification testing at the two year mark. The

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
graduated teams are also encouraged to “give back” to the program as mentors for new participants.
The process is ongoing and flexible, with veterans able to enter at any time throughout the year.
Steps in the process include:
1. Veteran applies for the program.
2. Volunteer PTSD counselor reviews application, then provides insight and makes suggestions that
assist in the interview and acceptance stages of the application process.
3. Designated staff conducts an in-home interview of the applicant to determine the applicant’s specific
needs and his/her ability to care for a dog.
4. Acceptance committee meets twice each month to review applications and accept veterans into the
program.
5. Once applicant is accepted, the Adoptions and Placement Coordinator finds a dog from a local animal
shelter or rescue to meet the specific needs of applicant. If the veteran already has a dog that could be
a candidate for the program, it is evaluated to determine its suitability for training.
6. Rescued dog is sheltered for several weeks with a foster volunteer to ensure that he/she has the right
temperament for the program.
7. A Meet-and-Greet is arranged for the veteran and all other people and pets who live with him/her to
meet the rescued dog. If this introduction goes well, the veteran and dog are paired and the dog begins
living with the veteran.
8. Within one to two weeks, training starts. During the first four to six weeks, teams work on mastering
basic obedience skills. They attend two sessions per week: one a private lesson with the trainer and
one a group lesson with the trainer and other veteran/dog teams. At the end of their basic training,
teams are required to pass the Canine Good Citizen test before being allowed to go on public outings
with their trainer.
9. Every team is required to practice and test for nine separate public outings. The program curriculum
requires them to go to retail stores, restaurants, hair salons, grocery stores, a large mall, public
transportation and an airport.
10. In tandem with these public outings, each team must learn a minimum of three tasks the dog will
perform for their veteran. Mastery of their pre-selected tasks and public outings allow them to qualify to
take the rigorous Public Access Test (PAT) and final written exam.
11. Once training is complete, veteran/dog teams graduate from the program.
12. Soldier’s Best Friend follows up with the graduates to conduct the PTSD Checklist used by the
Veterans Administration to assess their PTSD symptoms 1 month after graduation and then again at 3,
6, 12, 18 and 24 months.
13. Graduated service dog teams are tested for requalification 24 months after graduation.
1. Identify other organizations, partners or funders participating in the project and their roles.
Program Partners fall within three categories: 1) Providing space for training – American Legion, Post
#2; 2) Facilitating dog adoptions for the program – the Arizona Humane Society, the Fetch
Foundation, the Yavapai Humane Society, the Nancy J. Brua Animal Care Center, Saving Paws, and
United Animal Friends; and 3) Providing referrals – the Veterans Administration (VA).

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Over the last 12 months, Soldier’s Best Friend has secured financial support for the
Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog Program from the following funders: the Dorrance Family
Foundation, the National Philanthropic Trust, the BHHS Legacy Foundation, the Ibis Foundation,
Thunderbirds Charities, the Arizona Community Foundation, the Petco Foundation, USAA and Fiesta
Bowl Charities.
2. Would you be able to implement the proposed plan if your organization received partial funding for this
project?
Soldier’s Best Friend is committed to offering our Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog Program at no cost to
our participating veterans. The program costs between $3,500 - $4,000 per veteran/dog team, which includes
personalized training, basic dog supplies, and veterinary care as needed. A grant of any size from the Gila
River Indian Community would be impactful and appreciated as it would help us serve additional veterans in
need.
3. Describe your plan for project sustainability beyond the grant period. If this is a program/project
previously funded by the Gila River Indian Community describe efforts made towards the previously
described sustainability plan.
The Gila River Indian Community provided a generous grant in 2015 in support of the construction of
our new training facility that was opened in September 2016 and a grant in support of the
Service/Therapeutic Dog Program in 2013. Because we offer the program to participating veterans
for free, our sustainability plan involves continuing our fundraising efforts in support of the program.
We continue to widen our circle of support so that we seek support on a rotating basis from many
institutional funders while building a network of individual patrons.
4. Describe your plan to document progress and results.
To ensure that our Service/Therapeutic Companion Dog Program successfully achieves our
programmatic goals, Soldier’s Best Friend utilizes a variety of evaluation tools including surveys,
interviews, and data tracking. Using quantitative analysis, we track the number of veterans served,
the number of dogs rescued each year from local animal shelters and the number of hours of training
provided. This information allows us to compare year-over-year information, spot trends, and make
programmatic adjustments if necessary.
Soldier’s Best Friend also captures a variety of qualitative information to see the bigger picture
regarding the ways in which our program affects individual lives. We conduct the VA’s PTSD checklist
prior to and after completion of our comprehensive training program to monitor any changes in
symptoms. Initially, we conduct formal pre-interviews with applicants before they are accepted into
the program. This way, we have benchmark information about our participants to use in evaluating
the program’s impact (and are also able to match the veteran with a dog appropriate for his/her

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Grant Cycle 2017
needs). Upon graduation from our program, we continue to measure our progress by conducting
several post surveys. Through online questionnaires and by phone surveys scheduled at specific
intervals, we are able to gain valuable feedback regarding program efficacy, ease, etc. We also track
the number of veterans served, the number of dogs rescued each year from local animal shelters and
the number of hours of training provided.
5. Indicate any application to and/or awards made by a tribe other than the Gila River Indian Community
for state shared revenues for this and any other project for the past five (5) years. If this information is
included in a separate attachment, please indicate that here.
We applied to the Tohono O’odham Nation (2013, 2015) and the Fort McDowell Indian Community
(2012, 2015) but did not receive funding from them.

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Project Budget
Budget Period: January 1, 2017 – December 31, 2017 (similar budget for 2018)
For each budget item listed here please provide a narrative description on the following Project Budget Detail
page.
Proposed Budget Expense Amount Amount In Kind Total Budget
(list each budget item) requested from requested or contributions
GRIC secured from
other funders
1. Salaries and Wages $20,000 $47,000 $0 $191,580
2. Employee Benefits and Taxes $3,000 $5,680 $0 $23,658
3. Contract Services $20,000 $14,400 $0 $60,000
4. Pet Expenses $5,000 $3,840 $0 $16,000
5. Facilities and Equipment $1,000 $3,215 $0 $13,403
6. Office Expenses $1,000 $2,380 $0 $9,920
7. Travel and Meetings $0 $1,700 $0 $7,100
8. Information Technology $0 $1,475 $0 $6,158
9. Insurance $0 $720 $0 $3,000
10. Business Expenses $0 $410 $0 $1,710
11. Events $0 $180 $0 $1,000
12. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
13. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
14. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
15. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
16. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
17. Click here to enter text. $0 $0 $0 $0
Total Budget $50,000 $81,000 $0 $333,529

Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
Project Budget Detail
Please provide a narrative description for each of the project budget items listed on the previous page. Include
the dollar figure and how it was derived.
1. Program Salaries and Wages: Trainers on Staff ($54,990), Director of Veteran Services ($45,000),
Adoption/Placement Coordinator ($26,000), Program Assistant ($14,000) and an allocation of Operations
Director ($26,260), Administrative Assistant ($9,568), Volunteer/Event Coordinator ($15,762)
2. Program Employee Benefits and Taxes: Federal Employer Tax ($17,311), State Employer Tax ($2,724), and
Workers Compensation Insurance ($3,623)
3. Contract Services: Contracted Trainers ($60,000)
4. Pet/Training Expenses: Dog and Training Supplies ($6,000), Dog License and Registration Fees ($1,920),
Veterinary Care ($6,580), and Assistance Dogs International accreditation application fees ($1,500)
5. Facilities and Equipment: Equipment ($1,500), Janitorial/Landscaping Services ($1,500), Property Tax
($2,550), Repairs and Maintenance ($1,050), Utilities ($6,324), and Interest Expense ($479)
6. Office Expenses: Telephone ($2,340), Office Supplies ($2,325), Printing/Copying ($2,250), Postage
($1,205), and Credit Card fees ($1,800)
7. Travel and Meetings: Mileage Reimbursement ($7,100)
8. Information Technology: IT Support, Software Licenses ($6,158)
9. Insurance: Property and Liability Insurance ($3,000)
10. Business Expenses: Meals and Entertainment ($900), Allocation of Payroll Processing Fees ($750),
Employee Recruiting Expenses ($60)
11. Events: Program Graduations, four graduations at $250 each
12. Click here to enter text.
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Gila River Indian Community Grant Application
Grant Cycle 2017
17. Click here to enter text.
Other explanation: Click here to enter text.