The Special Forces operation to take out ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi had an unintended yet wonderful consequence. Not only did they eliminate one of the most wanted terrorists in the world, probably saving countless lives, the attention of the operation also shined light on the need to find special homes for retired military working dogs.
A military dog, a Belgium Malinois, played a strategic role in the operation and helped take down Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi. The action gained him notoriety after President Trump declassified a picture of the dog and praised him publicly for the “great job” he did.
We have declassified a picture of the wonderful dog (name not declassified) that did such a GREAT JOB in capturing and killing the Leader of ISIS, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi! pic.twitter.com/PDMx9nZWvw
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 28, 2019
Since then, according to a report by Yahoo Finance, the interest in adopting retired military working dogs has increased:
“The military dogs are really getting a lot of recognition right now, which they should,” President of U.S. War Dogs Association Ron Aiello told Yahoo Finance’s YFi PM. “Back when we had taken out Bin Laden, everyone wanted to adopt a Belgian Malinois [dog] and the same thing is happening now.”
According to the article, the association has received an increase in applications and phone calls from people interested in adopting one of the 870 retired working dogs they are currently working with to find homes.
The US War Dog Association supports organizations such as Mission K9 Rescue who since 2013 has been coming to the aid of retired service dogs who return from foreign and domestic assignments. Their mission is “To Rescue, Reunite, Re-Home, Rehabilitate and Repair any retired working dog that has served mankind in some capacity.”
To adopt one of these dogs a person must fill out an extensive on-line application and understand that the dog they are applying for is retired. They are no longer intended to work as a service dog or in any other capacity.
Another step in qualifying for one of these dogs is to understand that you will be subjected to a background and home check. They check “everything” Including:
- If you have other pets we will call your Vet to see if they receive regular care.
- Your home must meet acceptable standards. Standards vary by the type of dog to be placed.
- You have to be stable and have plenty of time to devote to a working dog.
- They must be walked at least twice a day, plus playtime as well.
- They cannot be left alone for long periods.
- You must be able to afford the cost of transportation and care for the dog you want to adopt.
- If you are unable to afford regular vet care for a retired working dog (average cost of about $600 per year NOT including emergencies) please do not apply.
- Mission K9 Rescue acts as an intermediary/rescue between entities with retiring Working Dogs and cannot guarantee the availability or suitability of any Working Dog for adoption.
If you are not ready to adopt you can still help by donating to the care and rehabilitation of these four-legged heroes at:
You can donate to Mission K9 Rescue via PayPal: https://paypal.me/missionk9rescue
If you prefer to mail a check, please use this address for donations by mail:
Mission K9 Rescue
P.O. Box 395
Needville, TX 77461-0395
EIN 46-4302698 501(c)3 Non-Profit Organization
Please share this amazing story with your family and friends and help provide the retirement our canine heroes so deserve.
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