1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Dogs Offering Gentle Support Act or the DOGS Act . 2. Findings Congress makes the following findings: (1) Medical research has demonstrated mental, emotional, and cognitive benefits of dog-assisted therapy in various populations. (2) Vulnerable populations, such as children with low reading comprehension, elderly nursing home residents and veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, can see particularly strong benefits from dog-assisted therapy. (3) Congress should support this growing body of research by deploying Federal agency resources to determine the ways in which dog-assisted therapy can be most beneficial. (4) Findings from the pilot program established under this Act can be instructive to State and local governments, non-profit organizations and other entities seeking to make use of dog-assisted therapy. 3. Department of Health and Human Services pilot program on dog-assisted therapy (a) In general Commencing not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of the Act, subject to the availability of appropriations, the Secretary of Health and Human Services shall carry out a pilot program under which the Secretary shall make grants to appropriate non-government entities for the purpose of conducting routine dog-assisted therapy in various community settings and populations. In addition to the eligibility criteria in subsection (e), the Secretary may impose additional eligibility criteria necessary for the effective functioning of the pilot program. (b) Purpose The purpose of this program is to add to the growing body of research on the effectiveness of dog-assisted therapy in various settings and among various populations, and to encourage the broader adoption of dog-assisted therapy in settings and among populations where such therapy offers proven benefits. (c) Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that vulnerable populations should be prioritized in grant awards from the Secretary to eligible entities. Such populations may