Who is eligible
Any current or former member of the U.S. military may apply to Pets for Patriots to become a member Patriot, and joining is free. We accept applications from men and women at all stages of their military careers: active, reserve, inactive reserve, veteran, retired and National Guard.
Anyone who has served or is serving in any U.S. military service branch is eligible to take our online qualifier: Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard.
Length of service requirement
You must have completed a minimum of 190 days of active duty service. Basic and/or active duty training is not applicable towards this requirement. Individuals convicted of a felony, sexual offense of any kind and/or any type of animal mistreatment, abuse, neglect or cruelty are ineligible.
Proof of service requirements
To ensure that our donor resources are going to service and veteran members of the U.S. military, all applicants are required to provide a copy of one of the following documents, without exception. Please redact your social security number prior to sending your documentation:
If active duty, reserve or National Guard:
- Copy of current original orders, including signature page(s). Must be from verified third-party (e.g., BUPERS) and include URL trail and/or other markings indicating their authenticity.
- We do not accept orders copied/pasted into Word document, txt file or into the body of the email, and are unable to read .mht files. If downloaded from BUPERS, we must see the full URL trail indicating that the printout came from BUPERS. We suggest printing out and scanning/sending as a PDF document, sending via fax or via regular mail.
- DD214, including block showing character and length of service (typically member copy 2 or 4). We do not accept discharge certificates towards this requirement. Character of service must be ‘honorable’ or ‘under honorable conditions’ only.
- Letter from your psychologist or psychiatrist, on his/her letterhead, stating that you are under his/her treatment and that you are ready for pet adoption
If married, divorced or for other reason you have changed your name:
- Proof of legal name change
Spouses, parents, siblings, other relatives, guardians or any other individual may not apply on behalf of a service member or veteran, without exception. The application is a legal agreement made directly between Pets for Patriots and the service member or veteran. If you need assistance completing our online qualifier or application, please call 877-473-8223.
The following are NOT accepted as proof of current or honorable service:
- Pay stubs
- Dependent IDs
- Retired military IDs
- Military IDs (no longer accepted as of October 15, 2012)
- Disability letters
- ID cards from the Veterans Administration
- Other documents not listed explicitly as acceptable proof of service
Other information you should know:
- You can request a copy of your DD214 if you have misplaced it.
- You may redact your social security number and other personal data. Our privacy policy describes how we handle your information.
Ready to find your new pet friend?
Please send your eligibility documents and proceed to our online application qualifier. Still have questions? Read our FAQ.
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