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A Final Update for 2024!

The last three months of 2024 have been action-packed, with US War Dogs’ suite of programs providing well-deserved support for our K-9 community. A busy final quarter means that the overall care we’ve been able to provide this year has been incredible! Let’s dig into the details…


Supporting Our Retired K-9 Heroes


We’ve signed up 91 new retired MWDs to our Rx program and spent over $167,000 on treatments through our Emergency Care program. We are particularly proud of this program, as it was developed in response to the need arising from within the community and through conversations with handlers and adoptive families about the challenges they face.



Since rolling out this program last year, we’ve not seen a single Go Fund Me page for retired MWDs, needing support with treatments. This is something we are exceptionally proud of. Read more about some of the recipients of care through the program, like Rex, SSeneca and Gunner.

SSeneca has been the recipient of care through a number of our programs

 

Supporting Active Duty Dog Teams



US War Dogs has a long history of supporting our active duty dog teams. We were thrilled to extend an invitation for deployed dog teams to submit their care package and specialized gear requests. Our teams worked hard to mail out over 200 packages to teams across the globe, providing quality gear and a welcome taste of home this holiday season.

Our head of quality control, Murray, oversaw the mail-out of over 200 care packages

 

Support For US War Dogs


Our team’s dedication to the mission would be nothing without the incredible support we receive from you all. We are so very grateful to every single person, business and organization who has donated vital funds to our cause.



Our special thanks goes out to Vortex Optics for the fundraising campaign they ran in aid of US War Dogs in November, through the sale of their dog collars. 

Thank you to the team at Vortex Optics, for supporting us with another incredible fundraiser!



We’d also like to extend a huge thanks and heartfelt congratulations to our long-time supporter and friend, Janet Deltuva, who – alongside her team of volunteer photographers – curated and published Tails of the Hill Country – A Dog’s Adventure Guide, to raise money for US War Dogs. The book launched in November at a special event attended by members of our team. All sales proceeds will be donated to our cause. 

Janet and her amazing team with Alex from US War Dogs, celebrating the launch of their book, Tails of the Hill Country

 

Earlier this year, we spoke with Janet about her motivations for taking on this huge project in our honor. Janet, we thank you for the time and energy you put into the book, which looks absolutely incredible. You can still purchase your copy here.


Looking forward to 2025


As many of you will know, we are about to enter our 25th anniversary year and we are going to make sure that the party lasts the whole 12 months! Stay tuned for more information and updates on our key anniversary initiatives, including:


  • Our Wellness Program in partnership with Banfield Pet Hospital, where we’ll be funding 25 retired MWDs to enjoy a whole year of care through the hospital’s Optimum Wellness Plan
  • US War Dogs’ Legacy Week, where 25 active duty dog teams will be participating in a four-day training package with some of the best mentors and teachers operating in the K-9 world today (13-16 October)
  • US War Dogs’ celebration day: An opportunity for this awesome community to come together and celebrate what we have achieved together (17 October)
  • US Marine Corps K-9 handlers’ reunion: The fifth annual reunion will take place over our celebration weekend to bring together Gold Star families and veteran handlers for a weekend of much-needed fellowship and brotherhood (16-20 October)


Our social media channels will be packed full of other initiatives to celebrate during our birthday year, so keep an eye out for more details. We are so excited to share this special anniversary with you all!

 

Ways to Support US War Dogs

 

We are truly grateful to all of you who read our newsletters, support us on social media and donate to our cause. We feel the love in this community and my team and I feel blessed to be in a position to make a positive difference, with your help and backing.


I wouldn’t be doing my job if I didn’t shout out some of the ways that you can choose to support us:


Buy our calendar!  The US War Dogs 2025 calendar is out now and available to purchase via the War Dogs Store. We are so proud of this and hope that you enjoy it as much as we have enjoyed making it!

Become a War Dogs Guardian  Our membership program is live and ready for you to join! Your monthly dues will go to supporting our mission and you’ll receive special access to the members only portal, where you’ll get deals, discounts and special content, just for you.

Shop Our Swag  The War Dogs Store is always open and packed full of branded and collabed apparel and merch for the whole family.

Follow Us!  We’re live on Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and LinkedIn so give us a follow, tell your friends and let’s keep spreading the good word of War Dogs!

 

Thank you for another incredible quarter of support, so that we can continue to care for MWDs - active and retired. Happy New Year when it comes and K-9 leads the way! 

In Conversation With… US Army dog handler and Purple Heart recipient, Alec Alcoser

December 28, 2024
In Conversation With… US Army dog handler and Purple Heart recipient, Alec Alcoser

War Dogs Turns 25!

September 27, 2024
War Dogs Turns 25! As our big birthday year fast approaches, we have some very special dates for your calendar in 2025, as we look forward to celebrating our quarter-century in epic style.

War Dogs Summer

September 27, 2024
War Dogs Summer Our president, Chris Willingham, takes a look back at our work and our impact across July, August and September.  The last three months have been super busy for US War Dogs. Our vital support for the K-9 community continues to increase as word spreads further about who we are and what we do. We love nothing more than signing up new retired MWDs to our Rx Program and providing vital support when dogs and their families need it most, and this last quarter has been no exception. We were thrilled to welcome 18 new dogs to our Rx Program this quarter, including US Navy patrol and explosive detection dog (PEDD) Ivo, who retired with his former handler, Dan. Notorious as being the most aggressive dog in the kennels at NAS Lemoore, CA, six-year-old Ivo has become the model house dog in retirement, lounging and enjoying meeting new people. Ivo was retired with lumbar-spinal stenosis, so the provision of medications through the Rx Program will really help alleviate the financial burden for Dan and his family. Welcome to the pack, Ivo!

Volunteer Highlight: Kim Roberson

August 16, 2024
Volunteer Highlight: Kim Roberson The team at US War Dogs is almost completely made up of retired, honorably discharged or current serving members of K-9. Kim Roberson is the trainer at Eielson Air Force Base in Fairbanks, Alaska. She takes excellent care of our social media and we are blessed to have her as part of the team. We chatted with Kim to learn more about her military service and experiences and why she chose to dedicate her precious free time to US War Dogs.

Supporting our K-9 Heroes – Q2 Update, 2024

June 29, 2024
Supporting our K-9 Heroes – Q2 Update, 2024 An update from our president, Chris Willingham Our mission to provide practical support to MWDs, their handlers and families, has been in full swing during the second part of this year and we are thrilled to share with you some facts and figures about the kind of care we have provided, by means of your generosity. Veterinary Care Take-up of our care programs has continued to grow this quarter, as word spreads about our mission and the kind of help that we provide. From April to June, we received 21 Rx Applications and spent over $35,000 on medications for dogs on the program.

Memorials and Memories

June 29, 2024
Memorials and Memories The second portion of 2024 has been significant for many reasons. Alongside the delivery of service to help retired MWDs in practical ways, we have also been busy supporting the K-9 community in other ways too. Our president, Chris Willingham, reflects on three special events this quarter that War Dogs has been proud to be a part of: the dedication of the K-9 memorial at Fort Drum, NY, the US Army’s Annual MWD Symposium in Michigan and the fourth annual US Marine Corps K-9 handlers’ reunion at Camp Pendleton, CA. Memorializing our K-9 Heroes When retired US Army colonel Christine Stark contacted US War Dogs to ask for help with a memorial that the K-9 team at Fort Drum had spent a decade working on, the board and I were intrigued to hear more about the project. As you may have read in our interview with Christine, the memorial took on new life when the Eddy family wanted to make a financial donation to the K-9 section on base, in memory of their late father, William Eddy. When Christine volunteered to act as conduit between the family and the Army – utilizing her years of military service – plans were set in motion to connect the family with their aspiration to honor the MWDs that had served out of Fort Drum. US War Dogs has a long history of supporting the dedication of monuments to honor K-9. It is part of our mission to raise the status and awareness of what our MWDs bring to the table and how their service has been pivotal in protecting our nation’s freedom. A monument has the power to do that and we are honored to have played a part in bringing this poignant tribute to life.  I was fortunate to attend the dedication ceremony of the monument in May, which was attended by base personnel and the Eddy family, who were both proud and emotional to see a permanent tribute to their father unveiled.

In Conversation With… Retired US Army Colonel, Christine Stark

June 29, 2024
In Conversation With… Retired US Army Colonel, Christine Stark After spending a 32-year career in the US Army, Colonel Christine Stark (ret) had her fair share of experience and a well-earned respect for K-9. But little did she know that a chance meeting with the daughter of a Korean War era veteran would ignite a passion project that had MWDs at its very heart: The dedication of a memorial to honor the MWDs who served out of Fort Drum, NY. Although Christine never worked directly within K-9, her role as a unit commander meant that she often had K-9 teams within her sphere of responsibility. “It became a tradition to invite me to the kennels to don a bite suit and test my mettle against the dogs when I joined a new detachment. I never turned down the opportunity – and have the scars to prove it.”

In conversation with… Vietnam dog handler Sebastian Cardella

June 29, 2024
In conversation with… Vietnam dog handler Sebastian Cardella

Volunteer Spotlight: US War Dogs Vice President, Chuck Rotenberry

March 28, 2024
Volunteer Spotlight: US War Dogs Vice President, Chuck Rotenberry Former US Marine Corps dog handler and trainer, Chuck Rotenberry, has been our organization’s vice president since 2021, supporting the board in making positive changes to increase support and ensure the future of US War Dogs. But before joining our team, Chuck enjoyed a rich and varied career in K-9 – bringing with him hard-fought life experiences that include a serious combat injury that totally changed the course of his life. So, on Chuck’s Alive Day, we spoke to him about his career, his combat injury and how giving back has become inherent to him.

Tails of the Hill Country: The Story of an Incredible Fundraiser for US War Dogs

March 27, 2024
Tails of the Hill Country: The Story of an Incredible Fundraiser for US War Dogs 
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