The Service Dog Revolution: Trends, Data and Impact in the Field
- Background
In recent years, and all the more so since the massacre of October 7, 2023, the perception of rehabilitation and emotional treatment in Israel and around the world has been undergoing a significant change. The need for personal rehabilitative responses has grown, and within this reality the interest in service dogs, working dogs and therapy dogs is also increasing, both in the defense systems and in the civilian and public sector.
According to Ministry of Defense data published on July 2, 2026, about 26,200 war wounded turned to the Rehabilitation Division for treatment, and about 65% of them are coping with mental distress or post-trauma. The Ministry of Defense estimates that the total number of IDF and defense-system wounded from all the wars will pass the threshold of 90,000 in 2026 — a jump of more than 40% within three years.
These figures aren’t a direct count of the requests for service dogs, but they illustrate the sharp rise in the need for rehabilitative responses since October 7.
- Explanation
Studies and trends from the field show that a skilled service dog, that has undergone professional training and personal matching, can integrate alongside medical and mental treatment and provide an emotional and functional response in daily life. These dogs help people who were injured gradually return to the circle of work, family, society and independence.
In short: a service dog doesn’t replace medical or mental treatment. When it’s chosen, matched and trained correctly, it can perform defined tasks in times of distress and become a significant part of the rehabilitation process.
- Continued
Proven impact: the data behind post-trauma dogs
Recognition of the contribution of service dogs has been reinforced by research too. A non-randomized controlled study published in 2024 in JAMA Network Open included 156 military personnel and veterans with PTSD.
After three months, the participants who received a service dog alongside the regular treatment showed lower levels of post-trauma, anxiety and depression symptoms compared to the waiting-list group. On the PCL-5 measure, for example, the average was 41.9 in the service-dog group compared to 51.7 in the control group.
The professional significance is clear: a service dog isn’t a magic solution, but a complementary tool that works as part of a broad envelope. A dog that has been trained correctly can identify signs it was trained to respond to, interrupt a pattern of anxiety, create space within a crowd, provide initiated touch or help the person return to the here and now.
For the response to succeed, cooperation is required between the person, the treatment staff, the body that handles eligibility and the professional party responsible for matching and training.
For IDF disabled veterans and those of the security forces, the Rehabilitation Division of the Ministry of Defense is the official body for clarifying recognition, rights and assistance tracks. The Disabled IDF Veterans Organization provides a community and rehabilitative envelope and assists in realizing rights, but isn’t the body that makes the official decision regarding eligibility or funding.
From the operational arena to the community heart: expanding the trend
This trend doesn’t stop within the homes of the fighters and the injured. Professional canine work is also incorporated into public, civilian and security systems, but it’s important to distinguish between a personal service dog, a therapy dog and an operational working dog. Each of them has a different goal, training and work framework.
The state’s operational and defensive array
In the IDF, the Israel Police, the Yamam and other security and enforcement bodies, working dogs are incorporated into missions such as detecting explosives and weapons, scent detection, policing and operational assistance.
In the Israel Police, for example, the animal handlers section is responsible for setting procedures, screening and certifying handlers, procuring and training the animals and maintaining their operational fitness. The Yamam also includes canine handlers as part of its operational array. These dogs aren’t service dogs for people with disabilities, but partners for security and enforcement missions.
Therapeutic innovation in the civilian sector
Local authorities, educational institutions and welfare bodies incorporate dogs into therapeutic and community programs that can assist in creating connection, in emotional regulation and in participating in a therapeutic or educational process.
A therapy dog that operates alongside a therapist or within a professional framework isn’t the same as a personal service dog, which is matched to one person and trained to perform defined tasks for them.
In the international arena too you can see the scope of the field. According to Assistance Dogs International, at the end of 2024, 28,308 active teams of a person and an assistance dog were operating in its accredited organizations. During that year 4,498 new teams were placed, and at the end of the year 7,614 candidates were waiting to receive a dog.
The figures don’t refer to Israel alone, but they illustrate the demand and the scope of professional activity around the world.
Ultimately, the trends and the numbers reinforce what trainers, therapists and people who live alongside dogs know from the field: the connection between a person and a dog can be a powerful tool for rehabilitation, functioning and strengthening independence. For this connection to truly work, it must be built on proper matching, professional training and responsible guidance.
- Summary
At A-ZK9 ISRAEL I, Adam Zeevi, personally accompany processes of matching, preparing and training service dogs and working dogs. I examine the need, define the tasks and build a program that suits the person, the dog and the reality of their life.
If you need help checking suitability or building a professional program, I’ll be happy to help you through A-ZK9 ISRAEL.
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