IV 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. RES. 291 
Recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping wounded veterans 
live more independent lives, expressing gratitude to The Tower of Hope, 
and supporting the goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2009 
Mr. HASTINGS of Florida (for himself, Mrs. MALONEY, Mr. WEXLER, Ms. 
WOOLSEY, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. KISSELL, Mr. HALL of 
New York, Mr. RODRIGUEZ, Ms. KILPATRICK of Michigan, and Mr. 
BROWN of South Carolina) submitted the following resolution; which was 
referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
RESOLUTION 
Recognizing the crucial role of assistance dogs in helping 
wounded veterans live more independent lives, expressing 
gratitude to The Tower of Hope, and supporting the 
goals and ideals of creating a Tower of Hope Day. 
Whereas the brave men and women defending America’s de-
mocracy in Iraq and Afghanistan are in harms way; 
Whereas thousands of America’s returning veterans were se-
riously wounded in combat, including brain injuries, sin-
gle and double amputations, and other traumatic wounds; 
Whereas these brave soldiers return to the United States and 
spend weeks, months, and years in hospitals recovering, 
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•HRES 291 IH 
and return to their homes needing assistance to regain 
their independence; 
Whereas these recovering soldiers who are teamed up with as-
sistance dogs lead more comfortable and more inde-
pendent lives; 
Whereas these dogs provide assistance to wounded veterans 
while walking, going up and down stairs, and getting up 
from a sitting or fallen position, and also pick up 
dropped articles, retrieve items from a distance, pull 
manual wheelchairs a short distance, turn lights on and 
off, and perform other important daily tasks; 
Whereas assistance animals offer priceless companionship 
and unconditional love on a daily basis; 
Whereas there are fewer than 75 veterans from Iraq and Af-
ghanistan who currently have assistance dogs because 
they either cannot afford them or do not know about the 
benefits that assistance dogs provide; 
Whereas severely wounded veterans currently have to wait up 
to two years before they can receive an assistance animal; 
Whereas The Tower of Hope was created following the at-
tacks of September 11, 2001, to bring hope to wounded 
veterans by providing them with assistance dogs at no 
cost; and 
Whereas The Tower of Hope has substantially improved 
many lives by raising funds for the training of assistance 
dogs, providing grants for American combat wounded vet-
erans, and advocating for the benefits of these animals: 
Now, therefore, be it 
Resolved, That the House of Representatives— 
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(1) acknowledges the importance of assistance 
dogs in helping combat-wounded veterans live 
happier and more independent lives; 
(2) applauds the outstanding work of The 
Tower of Hope and its dedication to training and 
providing assistance dogs to wounded veterans, as 
well as educating people about the benefits of such 
animals; 
(3) expresses deep gratitude and support to vol-
unteers and donors who have made this great pro-
gram possible by generously offering time and funds; 
(4) encourages the general public to support 
wounded veterans by volunteering or donating to 
help train assistance dogs; 
(5) calls for a vigorous promotion of, and advo-
cacy for, the benefits of assistance animals for physi-
cians and the general public; and 
(6) supports the goals and ideals of creating a 
Tower of Hope Day in honor of wounded American 
veterans and their service dogs, the work of The 
Tower of Hope, and the many generous donors. 
Æ 
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