Watch this courageous police dog’s retirement party to celebrate National K9 Veterans Day
Heroes come in many forms, including the four-legged variety. That’s why, on March 13 each year, dogs that have served in the military, law enforcement, and search and rescue are celebrated with National K9 Veterans Day.
The day of recognition was inspired by Joe White, a Vietnam War veteran and K9 handler. The date was chosen to coincide with the official birthday of the U.S. Army K9 Corps, also known as the War Dog Program, which began in 1942 when trained dogs were first officially recognized as part of the military.
The celebration now honors the heroics of all K9 service dogs, in and out of the military, whether active duty, retired, or deceased.
Watch the video above to see a K9 hero given a rousing retirement party by the NYPD
Some 1600 dogs currently serve in the U.S. military, while there are an estimated 50,000 police K9s. After basic obedience training, they specialize as sentry, scout, patrol, messenger, explosive detection, and therapy dogs.
Many dogs in the military, police, and rescue services are German Shepherds, Dutch Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois, though other breeds may be used for highly specific roles, such as Bloodhounds, Labrador Retrievers, and Terriers for their keen sense of smell
K9s build close relationships with their handlers and are considered very much part of the team. Numerous K9s have been honored for their heroics with awards, medals, and memorials.
Ways to mark National K9 Veterans Day include:
- Donating to organizations that support military and police K9 units.
- Sharing information about the work and achievements of service dogs.
- Attending a memorial service for fallen K9s.
- Adopting a retired service dog.
National K9 Veterans Day is all about recognizing brave dogs that make a difference; a chance to celebrate every K9 for its hard work, loyalty, and dedication to duty.