In honor of National K9 Veterans Day, we thank the retired Military Working Dogs and Police K9s for your bravery and loyalty in protecting our country and the men and women who served beside you.  National K9 Veterans Day was created thanks to the efforts of retired military working dog trainer, Joseph Wright, who chose March 13th because on this day in 1942 the Quartermaster Corps of the United States Army began training dogs for the newly established US Army K9 Corps.  Wright wanted this day to honor not only War Dogs, but all the brave dogs who selflessly served our country in the military, law enforcement, customs, and search and rescue.

Although dogs have served alongside US soldiers during every major conflict since the American Revolution, they were not officially recognized until World War II with the creation of the US Army K9 Corps.  By the end of World War II over 10,000 dogs were trained to search for land mines, tunnels, traps, trip wires, and other hazards often undetectable to humans.  Military working dogs were also trained to alert troops of ambushes, protect camps, and track enemy soldiers and snipers.  As a result of increased training, patrols led by dogs saved the lives of countless soldiers during World War II.  Since 1942 it is estimated that over 30,000 dogs have served our country, with approximately 2,500 Military Working Dogs actively serving today, trained to perform a wide range of highly specialized tasks.

Dogs have also been used for law enforcement for hundreds of years, or as some have argued thousands.  However, Police K9s were not officially used in the United States until the 1910s by departments in New York and New Jersey.  Today these highly trained working dogs are used across the country by police departments helping to protect our officers and assist them to locate and rescue missing persons; detect dangerous drugs, weapons, and explosives; and keep our communities safe.  Their acute sense of smell, sharp hearing, and intense training dramatically cut the time of a search and rescue missions.  In addition, their ability to locate vital evidence can bring criminals to justice more quickly and safely while protecting the lives of the police officers and citizens they serve.  They also make great ambassadors for their police departments at schools and community events.

In honor of K9 Veterans Day we thank the Military Working Dogs and Police K9s for your bravery and loyalty in protecting our country and the men and women who served beside you.  If you would like to pay your respects, the Hillside Acre Cemetery in Methuen, Massachusetts is the final resting place for many of these unsung heroes.  In addition to many individual gravestones for Working Dogs who have served in WWII to the present, and Police K9s who protected our communities, as part of their Heroes at Hillside program there are three monuments dedicated to their unwavering loyalty.  Hillside Acres (400 Nevins Rd, Methuen, MA) is open Monday through Friday 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM, and closed Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

To learn more about the invaluable service of Military Working Dogs for our country and the programs available for retired K9 Veterans, including veterinary care, please visit the United States War Dog Association.  For ways to help protect Police Dogs currently working across the country with lifesaving bullet proof vests, please visit Vested Interest in K9s.  To meet some of the Police K9s protecting New Hampshire and Southern Maine, visit the Working Dog Foundation.