National K9 Veteran's Day at K9 Hero Haven

National K9 Veteran's Day at K9 Hero Haven

The founder of K9 Hero Haven is giving the retired military and service dogs at her Herndon-based organization a special celebration.

Today marks National K9 Veterans Day, a day set aside to honor and commemorate the service and sacrifice of American military and working dogs throughout history. It was on March 13, 1942, that the U.S. Army began training for its new War Dog Program, also known as the “K-9 Corps,” according to American Humane, marking the first time that dogs were officially a part of the U.S. Armed Forces.

“Working dogs work daily in the harshest conditions,” said K9 Hero Haven founder Anne Gibbs, of Herndon. “At any given moment they are expected to selflessly give up their life to save yours. They work hard protecting us daily and deserve the best retirement a dog could possibly have.”

K9 Hero Haven is a nonprofit organization in Herndon that rescues retired military and service dogs, rehabilitates them and places them with combat veterans or retired police officers. Since 2015, K9 Hero Haven has placed 339 retired service, police and military dogs into new homes, 17 of which have been reunited with their original handlers, said Gibbs.

Gibbs said she plans on giving all the retired working dogs at the Haven an extra

treat and toy to celebrate.

American Humane, an organization committed to ensuring the safety, welfare and well-being of animals, reported that military working dogs have been an integral part of service in the United States since the nation’s founding.

During World War I, according to American Humane, “military working dogs were also being utilized by U.S. troops as both morale boosters and mustard gas detectors—improving spirits and protecting lives in the process. These courageous canines’ services were codified into the overarching U.S. Armed Forces program on March 13, 1942, with the official creation of the ‘K9 Corps.’ Now, with the evolvement of wartime techniques in the 21st century, these dogs serve an invaluable purpose by sniffing out improvised explosive devices in combat missions across the world, using their 220 million olfactory receptors to save countless lives by improving the U.S. military’s IED detection rate to 80 percent.”

There are currently more than 1,600 dogs deployed on active duty today, according to American Humane.

At least 65 dogs have been killed in action in the past decade compared with 300 killed in the Vietnam War era, according to the U.S. War Dogs Association Inc.

K9 Hero Haven has 60 dogs, five of which are ready for adoption. For more information about K9 Hero Haven, visit k9herohaven.org or visit the Facebook page.

Source: https://www.dailyitem.com/news/k9-hero-haven-celebrates-national-k9-veterans-day/article_58940ea6-a219-11ec-8f0d-ff88c72d8fad.html