In Conversation With… The Dawgs Project
As with so many fantastic non-profits working hard in the K-9 community, The Dawgs Project has a team of incredibly dedicated and passionate team members that are helping to bring to life their vision and mission – and all for the benefit of K-9 and their handlers.
As US War Dogs announces its formal partnership with The Dawgs Project, we speak to their team about its origins, the organization’s unique evolution and exciting plans for the future.
L-R The Dawgs Project's New President Luciano Aguilar With The Organization Founder Jon Hemp
Brain Child
The embryonic beginnings of what would become The Dawgs Project formed when former Air Force dog handler Jon Hemp was invited to a BBQ at Camp Pendleton in 2007. After seeing action on two deployments as a handler in Libya during the Six Day War (1966) and in Vietnam (1969), Hemp was ready to don blinkers and forget some of the horrors and heartache he had gained from his military service. “My dog Astor was the only K-9 casualty of the Six-Day War and that loss really stayed with me. We had spent an extended time training together, but not in the conventional way that most dog handlers learned their craft.
“I was trained in country when I deployed to Libya, by a veteran dog handler with a very exacting eye. If I didn’t ace a test and score 100%, he made me do it again. The other two trainee handlers had already been assigned and were outside the wire, by the time Astor and I certified. I don’t regret that for a second though, because my trainer’s eye for detail more than saved my life and made me a better handler as a result.”
Jon Hemp with MWD Astor in Libya
Astor was a sentry dog with incredible strength and poise. “He was the best partner I could wish for”, explains Jon. “Sharing that bond with a dog with such power and skill really got me hooked on K-9 and when he was killed, I was heartbroken.”
Jon became a ‘straight leg’ after Astor died and was re-assigned to Blytheville, Arkansas. “I’d served 18 months in Libya and was told that I wouldn’t be considered for any further overseas deployments.”
However, a few months into his new stateside duty station, Jon was handed orders to go to Vietnam. “I went to the personnel office to explain what I had been told about further overseas deployments. The guy sitting behind the desk explained that the Air Force wanted to send me to Vietnam as a dog handler, so I went with it.”
After pre-deployment training in Texas, Jon journeyed to north of Saigon and prepared to pick up his dog when he arrived at this new duty station. “I was introduced to Sarge – a huge, badass sentry dog. He was vicious and wouldn’t let me near him. I spent four days reading to him outside his kennel before he finally relented and let me put a muzzle and leash on him.
Hemp and his dog Sarge in Vietnam
“I think dogs are smarter that we humans ever are. Sarge turned out to be the most incredible asset ever. Like the majority of dogs who served in Vietnam, I had to leave him behind. When I came home, I wanted to forget everything I had seen and done in the war.”
Jon got a job with Wells Fargo Investigative Services, using the security experience he had gained in the Air Force. 16 years later, he left to become a teacher of post graduate social sciences. In 2007 Jon allowed himself to return to his military past by attending a Vietnam dog handlers’ reunion in Washington D.C. “It was a conspiracy between my wife and my principal to get me there – they knew that deep down, I needed to reconnect with that world and to old buddies who had been through what I had.
“While I was at the reunion, I met guys I’d not seen for 40 years. It was an incredible experience. I also took part in a veterans’ parade through the city, which, unknown to me, gave the opportunity for my picture to be taken by one of the journalists covering the event. The photo appeared on the front cover of US Veterans Magazine and my phone and email blew up!”
Following Jon’s appearance in the magazine, an old buddy contacted him with an invitation. “He had seen the magazine and wanted to invite me along to an event he was attending at Camp Pendleton - a BBQ for the dog handlers.”
Jon graciously accepted the invite and explains how reconnecting with his K-9 brothers was a life-affirming moment. “We had a gap of 40 years between us and the youngest Marines but within ten minutes, the atmosphere was electric. We talked about dogs and the young guys really enjoyed chatting with us older guys who had been there and done it. The therapy for me was immeasurable.
“I began thinking about the other bases and branches of service and how their K-9 teams would benefit from the extraordinary fellowship that we enjoyed that day. I also made a pact with myself that if we were laying on BBQs, the food was going to be top drawer. No more hot dogs – we would give these boys steaks. It’s the least they deserved.”
Jon’s passion for creating moments for dog handlers to enjoy fellowship, downtime and a chance to eat some great food, evolved into a full service that included reading the names of current generation fallen dog handlers. “We would read the names of all dog handlers from all countries KIA: Brits, Aussies, Danes and of course, Americans. Around 2012, the young handlers asked us to read the names of the Vietnam handlers too. The comradeship between the generations was so strong and natural. It was absolutely incredible.”
The Dawgs Project’s activities increased dramatically as word spread about the BBQs. “Each year, we were organizing more events for dog teams across all branches of service and each event brought such critical fellowship and therapy – not just to the young guys but to me too. Spending time with your K-9 family is more potent than any pill prescribed by the VA. Over 40 years after first picking up the leash and becoming K-9, I had finally returned home.”
Handlers enjoying one of The Dawgs Project's feeds
The work of The Dawgs Project extended to holding K-9 competitions and memorial services for fallen handlers. “The whole thing really grew wings and became a huge undertaking. I never registered The Dawgs Projects as a non-profit as I know how hard these things are to administer, so we survived hand-to-mouth on donations to continue our mission.
“Over ten years, we held 437 events and fed thousands of dog handlers and their families.”
Of course, running an organization of this scale takes its toll. “Anyone who works in events knows how stressful they can be in the lead-up. And now, in my mid-70s, I am not physically capable of doing what I did when the thing started. Driving 17 hours across the country to attend a feed is not something that comes easy to me now.”
Successor
Jon’s incredible achievements with the Project had a profound impact on anyone who found themselves at an event, so when conversations turned to Jon’s future plans for the organization, it’s no surprise that someone heard it as a rally cry. That someone was Luciano Aguilar.
“It was May 4, 2013, when I attended the first Dawgs Project feed”, recalls Luciano – a former Air Force dog handler. “I’d left the military in 2004 but my wife persuaded me to go. When I got there, it felt like I’d come home. The brotherhood and camaraderie you find in the military is unmatched, especially in K-9. Like all delegates to the feeds, I met Jon and we chatted briefly.”
Luciano’s military service, combined with his professional experience, makes him an excellent candidate to take The Dawgs Project forward. A few years after leaving K-9, Luciano set up his own dog training business, Presidential K9 and in 2010, Luciano’s reputation put him on the radar of TV executives, who invited him to become the pet expert on Emmy-nominated national show, America Now.
Luciano on America Now
In 2015, Luciano joined Dash Radio as a podcaster, which is where he met Mike Dowling, author of the bestseller Sergeant Rex. “Mike was a Marine Corps dog handler and it turned out that we went to K-9 school around the same time. We had a lot of common ground and really hit it off, so when he invited me to the Vietnam Dog Handlers Memorial event at the March Airfield Museum in Riverside, CA., I was eager to attend.”
Luciano connected with Jon again at the event. “I was determined not to lose touch this time. I followed him to different local feeds and decided to raise money for the project to help give something back. As we talked more frequently, Jon expressed his need to step away from the work as it was getting too much for him.”
Jon added: “I’ll be honest, I felt like we’d had a great run. After ten years and over 400 events, I felt like I would complete the year 2018 and hang up my BBQ tongs. But as Luciano and I chatted, he expressed a real sadness in the whole thing folding and wanted to do something to help. I was pretty stoked and for the first time, felt that The Dawgs Project could continue without me.”
Luciano and Jon spent a few months sharing knowledge and completing a full handover of Jon’s hard-won experience over ten years. Jon recalls: “I had one last request of Luciano before I promised to sit back and shut up, and it concerned the Brodsky family.”
The feeds allowed for much needed fellowship and brotherhood
Dawgs Project in Action
US Navy Petty Officer Michael Brodsky was mortally wounded by an IED after running his MWD, Jackson, to the safety of a vehicle during a vicious firefight in Kandahar Province, Afghanistan. In 2019, Michael’s family arranged for him to be interred at Arlington National Cemetery, where he would receive a full military funeral. Luciano explains: “Jon wanted to give the family a special feed from The Dawgs Project for Michael so I contacted another former handler that I had served with and asked if she knew the kennel master at Andrews Air Force Base. She asked them and asked them if we could hold a feed there. The kennel master agreed and we set about creating an event for Michael’s friends and family.
“The only thing we needed to concern ourselves with now was raising the money to hold the event, which promised to be a 350-strong feed. Jon suggested I contact Kevin Sonka at the Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project for assistance. Knowing how tough fundraising for events like this can be, Kevin was really happy to support us with funds.”
David Sonka and his MWD Flex
Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project
Kevin Sonka’s registered non-profit organization had been running feeds at bases across the country. “I started the Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project in honor of my son, David, who was killed on May 4, 2013. He was a dog handler with the US Marine Corps Special Operations Command. He absolutely loved being a dog handler. I remember our many conversations on the phone while he was stationed out at 29 Palms, CA, he always spoke about going to feed the dogs.
“After he died, his final wishes stated that he wanted us to help ‘feed the dogs’. I was confused. Didn’t the military provide enough food to feed their dogs? I started researching and eventually found Jon Hemp, who I called and he explained everything to me.
“That night, I woke my wife and said ‘I know what we need to do. We’ll set up a non-profit to cater feeds for dog teams across the nation. On July 4, 2013, we officially became a non-profit and held our first feed at Fort Carson, Colorado in the fall of that year.”
Kevin’s motivations for setting up the Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project to honor his beloved son and support the community that he held so dear, made him a tenacious fundraiser and a fastidious administrator. “We registered as a non-profit and enlisted the help of volunteers to help us execute our mission. It was a full-time job, on top of my full-time job, but it helped me stay connected with David and cope with the heart-crushing grief in some way.”
MARSOC's compound at Camp Lejune, named after David Sonka
In 2016, Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project expanded their range of services to provide veterans suffering from PTSD with therapy dogs, who were uniquely trained to ensure they provided maximum benefit. “It was a huge undertaking”, explains Kevin. “We had to raise about $25,000 per dog to make sure we could provide the training and top-up sessions for the veterans. Our model was a simple one on paper: train the veterans to train the dogs. But of course, training a dog is not an easy task, so we had to make sure our support was there for the lifetime of the veteran – not just for the dog. It felt like an important, sustainable option to providing the veteran with a trained dog.
Two of the service dogs that were paired with veterans through The Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project
“We enjoyed a huge amount of success with the program, which paired 12 service dogs and veterans together. I feel really proud that those dogs are out there, providing much-needed support to our heroes who struggle with the mental and emotional scars of war. It’s a hugely positive legacy and we did it in David’s name.”
Merger
After Luciano reached out to Kevin about the Brodsky Memorial Feed, Kevin started pondering about the future of his own non-profit: “I had spoken at length to Luciano and felt so pleased for Jon that he had managed to identify a worthy and passionate successor for The Dawgs Project. I began wondering whether I might ever have the same luck, to have someone take forward the mission I had started. I also knew that I was tired. Bone tired. And in desperate need of a break, not just to spend more time with my family, but to properly grieve for David.
“It also wasn’t lost on me that the first feed Luciano ever attended was on the day David died – May 4, 2013. That really resonated with both of us and strengthened our bond as brothers striving to give something back to the K-9 community for our own unique reasons.
“Channelling grief into action is a great coping mechanism, until it isn’t serving you in the same way anymore. I loved what we had created, but I knew it was time for me to fully face my loss.”
In 2020, Kevin formally asked Luciano to take on Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project and absorb it into The Dawgs Project. “Our missions absolutely aligned and I didn’t want to see Kevin’s hard work left in history”, explains Luciano. “Kevin called me and we talked for a long time. He told me to talk to my wife and sleep on it. At 4am, my phone rang. It was Kevin - he dead serious about me sleeping on it! I agreed there and then to take on Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project.”
Gold Star
The Dawgs Project’s long history with honoring the fallen provided an opportunity to engage with a number of Gold Star families, who have become closely involved with the project. “It became part of the fabric of events to invite Gold Star families along to hear their sons and daughters’ names being read out”, explains Jon. “As well as that ceremonial side to the proceedings, though, the healing power of being around the friends and brothers of their lost loved ones has often had a profound effect on the families who come along.”
One Gold Star family member inspired to become involved in The Dawgs Project’s mission is Arlene Douangdara - sister to SEAL Team 6 dog handler, John Douangdara, who was killed during Operation Extortion 17 in Afghanistan. John’s helicopter came under intense enemy fire, causing a crash that killed all 17 team members on board – including John’s MWD, Bart.
“John was my big brother. I absolutely idolised him and losing him was a crushing weight that we all continue to carry”, explains Arlene, who lives in Virgina Beach with her boyfriend, children and two retired MWDs who she adopted in honor of John. “One of my dogs is DD – in honor of our last name. He was a memorial puppy for John so he was always going to come to us. I have loved deepening my understanding of John’s bond with Bart through having DD. Spending time with other handlers at The Dawgs Project’s feeds has also been an incredible key to understanding what John’s life was like as a handler.”
MA1 John Douangdara
Arlene first attended a feed in 2019. “Jon invited us to attend so we could hear John’s name read out. It was such a special experience and I was instantly inspired by Jon and Luciano’s work with the project. Meeting some of the guys that knew John and who had worked with him was absolutely incredible. I left wanting more!”
Jon and Luciano kept in touch with Arlene, who later appeared as a guest on Luciano’s radio show. “Luciano is so talented and passionate, so when he asked me to be a part of the team as a Gold Star representative, I couldn’t refuse. Being part of The Dawgs Project makes me feel closer to the community that John loved so much.
“I’ve even had the chance to don a bite suit and act as decoy, which was terrifying, but it was another experience that brought me closer to my brother.”
Speaking about Arlene, Luciano said: “We are honored to have her as part of our team – she brings tenacity and work ethic, along with the unique and poignant perspective of having lost a family member in military service.”
Future
Two years into Luciano taking the helm of the merged organizations known as The Dawgs Project, he reflects on his journey so far: “It’s been an incredible ride. Everyone that has attended the events has said that they want to help us in some way, which has been great. But getting to grips with running a 501-C3 is an ever-steepening learning curve. We’re always chasing that fundraising target to make ends meet, which sometimes feels like an insurmountable task. It definitely keeps me awake at night.
“Reconciling that struggle with our aspirations for the future is tough, but I always believe that when you’re fighting the good fight, good things always happen.”
In 2022, US War Dogs president, Chris Willingham, reached out to Luciano to offer a unique partnership to The Dawgs Project. Chris explains: “We had met a couple of times and I had been keeping an eye out on news from the organization, which I benefitted from many times as a young dog handler. Jon Hemp is a great man and I was keen to get to know the new guardian of his mission. Luciano did not disappoint. His passion and energy for K-9 and his plans for the future are truly inspiring so after we chatted, I took a proposal to our board members that would see US War Dogs providing long term financial support to The Dawgs Project. The vote was resounding and unanimous.”
L-R The Dawgs Project President Luciano Aguilar, Rosendo Madrigal, Arlene Douangdara, Chris Willingham
In 2022, US War Dogs president, Chris Willingham, reached out to Luciano to offer a unique partnership to The Dawgs Project. Chris explains: “We had met a couple of times and I had been keeping an eye out on news from the organization, which I benefitted from many times as a young dog handler. Jon Hemp is a great man and I was keen to get to know the new guardian of his mission. Luciano did not disappoint. His passion and energy for K-9 and his plans for the future are truly inspiring so after we chatted, I took a proposal to our board members that would see US War Dogs providing long term financial support to The Dawgs Project. The vote was resounding and unanimous.”
What does it mean to have US War Dogs as a partner? “It’s honestly an answered prayer”, explains Luciano. “Having our feeds funded by War Dogs means that we can expand our mission to create more opportunities for handlers and their families to come together and celebrate K-9. Our coverage of the country will be thorough and we are looking to introduce regional K-9 competitions that will not only create chances for fellowship and brotherhood, they will also increase knowledge sharing and mentorship opportunities for young handlers.
“We will continue to honor our fallen and pay tribute to them and we will always be here to ensure that K-9 of all generations has a place to come to for solace, companionship and camaraderie, long after they leave the service. All served with delicious food and a thankful smile.”
US War Dogs President Chris Willingham Acting As Decoy at One of The Dawgs Project's Feeds
