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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.

October 2025 marks the 25th anniversary of when US War Dogs Association became a legal entity to support the K-9 community. Our growth and evolution over the last two and a half decades to provide this community with what it needs, is something we are extremely proud of and, to celebrate, we are planning a year-long celebration that will culminate in a very special week of activity.

 

US War Dogs K-9 Legacy Training Package


From 13-16 October inclusive, we are giving 25 military dog teams the chance to undergo a training package that will aim to impart elite knowledge from some of the best K-9 trainers in the US.


The training package will take place in San Antonio, TX, and cover everything from enhanced detection, apprehension and transitional work and will equip teams with enhanced knowledge to aid operational readiness.


The spaces will be allocated evenly between all branches of military service, with a maximum of two dog teams per installation offered. Kennel masters and trainers will also be given the opportunity to attend and the course will earn you professional credits, with travel and accommodation covered as part of the military’s standard professional development protocols.


Applications will open soon so keep an eye on our social media channels and email comms for more information.

 

Celebrating US War Dogs – Past, Present and Future


We’re inviting anyone who has supported or benefitted from War Dogs’ care to come along to a very special event on 18 October, to celebrate our birthday and look back at what this incredible organization has achieved.


Venue details and timings are still to be announced, so stay tuned for more information via our emails and social channels. It’s going to be an incredible day so note it in your calendars as we would love to see you there!

 

Our team is working hard to nail down all the details but in the meantime, note these dates in your diary and be ready to register your interest, very soon!

 

Celebrating By Showing We Care…


We wanted to do something special for our retired MWDs during our birthday year so in a few short days, we’ll be announcing details of a brand-new care program that will give current-serving or former military personnel who have retired an MWD, the chance to access almost £1,000 worth of preventive treatments for your dog. Funded by US War Dogs, this special year-long program will run for our entire birthday year of 2025 and will give us the chance to spread some additional support to our K-9 community.


More information on this unique opportunity will be announced on 1 October, so stay tuned to all War Dogs channels to learn more!



Thank you and K-9 leads the way!

A Final Update for 2024!

December 28, 2024
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.

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 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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