Proof of eligibility
Who is eligible to apply?
We accept applications from legal spouses of our nation’s fallen heroes as well as those declared Missing In Action (MIA). In the future we hope to expand eligibility to include Gold Star parents and siblings.
Applicant must be listed as a spouse (husband or wife) in the ‘Interested Persons’ section of their fallen hero’s DD1300, Report of Casualty.
Individuals convicted of a felony, sexual offense of any kind and/or any type of animal mistreatment, abuse, neglect or cruelty are ineligible.
What are the requirements?
Spousal relationship
You must be the legal spouse (husband or wife) at the time of the fallen hero’s date of casualty.
If you have since remarried or changed your name for any reason, proof of legal name change is required if it differs from the one listed on your fallen hero’s DD1300.
Proof of eligibility
Gold Star spouses
A COPY OF ONE OF THE FOLLOWING IS REQUIRED:
DD1300 (Report of Casualty) for your fallen hero with you listed as a spouse (husband or wife) in the ‘Interested Persons’ section of the form
Please redact your fallen hero’s social security number prior to sending any documentation
Other Gold Star family members
NOT AVAILABLE AT THIS TIME; PLEASE CHECK BACK FOR UPDATES
The following are NOT accepted as proof of eligibility:
Military family IDs
Next Generation Uniformed Services IDs
Dependent IDs
Retired military IDs
Military IDs
Disability letters
Veterans Administration ID cards
Social Security cards
Drivers license
Other documents not listed explicitly as acceptable proof of service
Other circumstances
Proof of legal name change: (remarriage or other name change)
If your name has changed from issue of your fallen hero’s DD1300
Marriage certificate or other legal document detailing name change(s) if you go by a different surname and/or first name than is listed on your fallen hero’s DD1300
Drivers license, dependent ID card, or similar forms of identification are not accepted
Other information you should know
You can request a copy of your fallen hero’s DD1300 from the National Archives
Please redact your fallen hero’s social security number prior to sending any documents; our privacy policy describes how we handle your information
Documents copied/pasted into Word document, txt file or into the body of the email are not accepted; we suggest emailing PDF of original document, or sending via fax or regular mail
Spouses, parents, siblings, other relatives, guardians or any other individual may not apply on behalf of a Gold Star applicant, without exception. The application is a legal agreement made directly between Pets for Patriots and the applicant. If you need help applying online please call toll-free 877-473-8223