Dogs For Our Brave is on the move. The local nonprofit, which is currently based in Clayton, had its minor site plan approved in early December by the Crestwood Planning and Zoning Commission for a building at 9960 Watson Road. The building was previously a National Tire and Battery. The plan will be reviewed for final passage by the Board of Aldermen at one of its upcoming meetings, though, as agendas have yet to be released, the date remains undetermined.

Dogs For Our Brave (DFOB) boards and trains service dogs for military veterans. According to the nonprofit’s website, most service dogs trained for veterans are PTS dogs — trained to aid veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder — or emotional support dogs. DFOB says it takes its training a step further by training dogs to serve mobility needs for wounded veterans. The nonprofit also likes to say that it “saves two lives at once” by using rescue dogs “at every opportunity.”

In a video announcing the nonprofit’s move, DFOB employees explained that their facility at 6244 Clayton Avenue is at capacity. Director of Veteran Services Bryan Pieschel hopes that a larger facility will allow them to bring more veterans into the organization while retaining “a family-like culture.”

“The training center now is pretty cramped,” Director of Training Bridgette McAuley said in the video. “Every space, every inch in that training center is being utilized in some way, shape or form.”

McAuley believes that the new facility will give the dogs a happier, healthier environment for training during the 18-month training program they undergo. She also says that they may be able to train more dogs and send them on their way to veterans in need.

The new building for Dogs For Our Brave is anticipated to be a $5.3 million investment. According to DFOB’s website, the nonprofit has raised $2.3 million to date.