CLEVELAND, Ohio — Cuyahoga County is officially recognizing September as National Service Dog Month in honor of the life-changing role service animals play in helping people with disabilities live more independently.
County Council announced the proclamation last week, highlighting the growing need for service dogs nationwide. While an estimated 70 million U.S. adults live with a disability, only about 16,000 service dogs from accredited training programs are currently in use, the proclamation reads.
September is already recognized nationally as Service Dog Month, but Council President Dale Miller wanted to bring awareness to the cause locally, to better educate the public about service dogs and help drive a more inclusive community for them and their handlers.
“Now, therefore, be it resolved that the Council of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, hereby proclaim September 2025 as National Service Dog Month,” Miller read. “We encourage all citizens to celebrate service dogs and be respectful of the rights to safe access in our community afforded to the adults, children, and veterans who live more independent lives because of their assistance.”
Bryan Hurst, a disabled Vietnam veteran, accepted the proclamation on behalf of county handlers. His service dog died a year ago, but he said it had been vital to his wellbeing.
“If it wasn’t for the service dogs, if it wasn’t for having companionship over isolation, I would not be here today,” Hurst told councilmembers following the proclamation. “That’s how important those animals, those family members, are to us.”
He hasn’t received a new dog.
“The county doesn’t have a local service dog provider for veterans,” Hurst noted. “We need to work on that.”
The county has been working on it. Council members Sunny Simon and Michael Gallagher have been advocating for more local resources to provide service and therapy dogs for veterans. They are in the process of creating a new program through the Cuyahoga County Veterans Service Commission that will train the dogs to be paired with veterans for free.
“This is a passion project for us, and we really are happy you’re here to explain how important it is,’ Simon told Hurst.
Details about the program have not yet been finalized.
The Commission does already connect veterans and dependents with service and companion animals through national programs like Canine Companions, K9s for Warriors and Paws Assisting Veterans USA, all of which provide trained service dogs at no cost. The commission also covers any other associated expenses for the animal, such as travel, additional training, or any equipment the veteran may need to care for the animal, according to Executive Director Jon Reiss.
But he said he’s looking forward to having access to more local services to make the process easier and ensure veterans know the program is available to them.
“We want the cost of the service dog to be zero dollars to the veteran,” Reiss said.