Paws of War is helping to save lives by giving veterans and rescue dogs a new leash on life.

More than 300,000 veterans from wars in Iraq and Afghanistan suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. More than 1 million shelter dogs are put down in the U.S. every single year.

Paws of War matches up the shelter dogs with veterans.

Steven Siwulec is the recipient of a rescue dog thanks to the organization. He got out of the Army in 2007 and was diagnosed with PTSD. His rescue dog Callie, a yellow lab/Jack Russell mix, was rescued out of a kill shelter in Georgia. Callie was two days away from being euthanized.

"She gave me this hug and I knew that it was a bond that was never going to be broken," he says.

Paws of War co-founder Dori Scotfield says the organization is about helping both the animals and the service members.

"Our tag line is helping both ends of the leash and that's truly what we're doing," says Scotfield.

Paws of War founders do not claim the program is a cure-all for PTSD, but rather a holistic approach.