Yesterday, March 13, was National K-9 Veterans Day, and we didn’t know. This special day is recognized in only 13 states so far, but next year, we will be ready.
While reading up on the day, we learned that the financial burden of caring for retired MWDs (military war dogs) falls squarely on their owners, about 90 percent of whom are military handlers who happily adopted their former canine partners. Some help is available through nonprofit organizations, but as there are more than 1,600 MWDs serving the country, and some 270 new canines produced every year, it gets expensive.
Most Special Forces dogs are Belgian Malinois, and of that remarkable breed, only 1 percent make it into the elite SEALs. “Cairo,” of course, the dog who took part in the top-secret raid that took down Osama bin Laden, is one of them. His breed is one of four that is included in the U.S. Military Working Dog Teams National Monument at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas. The sculpture, built with private donations, features the four major breeds used since World War Two: The Doberman Pinscher, German Shepherd Dog, Labrador Retriever, and, of course, the Belgian Malinois.
The idea for the monument was spearheaded by a former U. S. Army combat infantryman and German Shepherd Scout Dog Handler during the Vietnam War, John Burnam. To keep the memories alive of the dogs that made the ultimate sacrifice, his Foundation collected more than $2 million from private and corporate donations. Burnam said he got the idea for a memorial after military officials decided not to let dogs working in Vietnam return to the United States with their handlers. “They were heroes, and they were left to die,” said Burnam, who has written two books about combat dogs.
The monument’s location is fitting: Lackland been the recruiting and training facility for the U.S. Armed Services military working dog program since 1958. It provides training for working dogs for other government agencies, as well, and is also the home of the Holland Veterinary Military Working Dog Hospital, the only one of its kind.
Today, by law, all military working dogs are evaluated for potential adoption and any MWD suitable for adoption is adopted. Potential adoptees should know that these dogs are retired. They are not suitable and cannot be certified as Service Dogs for any purpose. Find out how to adopt a former military working dog here. To simply learn more about them, go here.