War Dogs have been a part of the U.S. Military for decades. These Military Working Dogs (MWD), over the years, have been trained for a variety of jobs and duties, such as: sentry or guard dogs, scout or patrol dogs, casualty dogs, messenger dogs, mine-tunnel & booby trap dogs, combat trackers, explosive and bomb dogs and also sled and pack dogs. These dogs love to work and do their jobs. Their loyalty is truly unmatched and they ask for nothing in return but the attention and love of their handler. Many in the past, while performing their duties, have made the ultimate sacrifice. Even though they are gone, to the handlers and the men that were saved by the actions of these brave K9s, they will always be considered Heroes and never forgotten. A testament to the true value and importance of the Military Working Dogs, is in the number of lives that they have saved.

IN MEMORY OF “ARTUS” K012. My Buddy, My Partner, My Protector. A 4 year Veteran of Vietnam. KIA 12/11/1970

 The use of dogs history in warfare in North America goes far back into history. To Native Americans, dogs were an important part of everyday life. Dogs were used extensively for hunting, tracking, transporting and also as sentries. Many times in the wars of the west, dogs were the key in alerting Native Americans of impending danger.

In WWII, a group known as “Dogs for Defense” and the American Dog Association talked dog owners into donating their dog to the military. Over 10,000 dogs were trained. Most of them trained for sentry or guard duty and used by the Coast Guard for beach patrol. A total of 436 scout dogs were used in both the European and Pacific Theaters. At the end of the war, each dog received a Discharge Certificate and by 1947, all donated dogs were rehabilitated and returned to their original owners. In the Korean War, 1500 dogs served and most were again used for sentry duty. It was found that units working with the dogs had a 65% lower casualty rate than units without dogs.

Over 4,000 dogs served in Vietnam. These dogs were credited with saving over 10,000 lives. The K9s in Vietnam were so feared by the enemy that they placed a reward on the head of the dog as well as the handler. Only 204 dogs left Vietnam. Approximately 600 dogs died of a medical problems or disease. There are 386 dogs listed as Killed In Action (KIA) At the end of the war, around 200 dogs were given to the South Vietnamese Army, the rest were euthanized. This was a very sad time in the history of the MWD.

MWD have also served in Bosnia, Kosovo, and in Desert Storm. Today, the Military Working Dogs are serving with every branch of our Armed Forces and are stationed all over the world. Approximately 700 of these K9s are now serving in the Middle East.

They are guarding and protecting our military personnel as they were trained to do with courage, loyalty, and honor.