Veteran’s story highlights urgent need as service dog program faces funding crisis

FOX23 News at 9 p.m

(KBSI) – “A suicide bomber detonated a bomb, killing 13 service members and injuring many others, including myself.”

The memories of that day still echo in the mind of U.S. Marine veteran Kelsey Lainhart, whose world was turned upside down during a mission in Afghanistan in 2021. The explosion left her with a spinal cord injury and in a wheelchair. But Lainhart refused to let that moment define her future.

“When I first got hurt, one of the first things that I wanted was a service dog,” she said. That’s when the nonprofit Rescue 22 stepped in.

“The Rescue 22 Foundation provides life-saving service dogs to veterans all over the country,” a spokesperson said. “Many of our veterans are complex cases with multiple disabilities that need to be mitigated, and we do that at no cost to the veteran.”

Six months after the attack, Lainhart met Ollie, a golden retriever mix with a calm temperament and a mission to help her reclaim her independence.

“He helps with daily tasks, but honestly the biggest thing he helps me with is emotional support,” she said. “Having a dog, you can bring everywhere is the best thing ever.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 31% of U.S. veterans in 2025 have service-related disabilities, including physical injuries, chronic illnesses and mental health conditions. For many, a service dog is more than a companion — it is a lifeline.

But now the organization that once helped Lainhart is facing its own crisis.

“First were the congressional budget hearings. We were expecting a grant that would have provided a considerable amount of funding for our mission, and the rug was pulled out from under us,” the spokesperson said. “Then, with the government shutdown, even the grant we had already been awarded couldn’t continue to be funded.”

Those cuts have brought Rescue 22 to a standstill, leaving dozens of veterans waiting for service dogs that could change — and potentially save — their lives.

“Ninety cents of every dollar collected goes directly to training the dogs. We don’t have a high overhead. No one on our board takes a salary,” the spokesperson said. “Every bit goes toward our mission. But to continue training and placing dogs, we need support. In the next few months, veterans on our waiting list will start to feel the impact.”

Lainhart said hearing about the organization’s struggles is difficult.

“It’s definitely unfortunate,” she said. “I’ve had a great experience with Rescue 22. They have a great mission, a great team, and their hearts are in the right place. They want to help a lot of people — and a lot of dogs.”

For Rescue 22, every donation — big or small — means providing another Ollie, another lifeline, and another glimmer of hope to a veteran in need.

“I think anyone considering donating can have peace of mind,” Lainhart said. “Your donation is going to a good cause. It’s going to an organization that genuinely wants to help veterans and genuinely wants to help dogs. It’s an extremely important mission.”

You can learn more about Rescue 22 or make a donation at this link.