Military Working Dogs (MWDs) serve alongside service members of the military in combat zones around the world. They are injured, die, and if they are lucky, they make it to retirement. And, just like their human counterparts, many have lingering issues once they have left military service costing on average $3,000 a year. This can create an unnecessary burden for the individuals and families who care for them.

Fortunately, new legislation in Texas is seeking to remove this burden by allowing the use of federal grants to provide financial assistance for these costs.

What led to the introduction of the legislation?

It was following the actions of the brave dog that helped take down Islamic State leader Abū Bakr al-Baghdadi that Texas Representative Ron Wright had an idea. Why not use federal funds to pay the medical expenses for MWDs who are injured in the performance of duties for their country?

“These dogs assist our federal government in ways that no man or machine could, and it’s unacceptable to me for them to live with inadequate medical care or even be euthanized in some cases after sacrificing so much for our country,” Wright, a Republican, said during a press conference on Capitol Hill Thursday.

What the K-9 Hero Act does for MWDs

Called the K-9 Hero Act, the grant program would cover the costs of any veterinary appointments, testing, medical treatments, and medication. Usually, when it comes to retired MWDs, organizations, such as Project K-9 Hero, help cover these expenses. With the new act, the federal government would provide financial assistance to these organizations via grants.

“This bill helps ensure these heroes are well taken care of during retirement, and that their need for medical care never prevents them from receiving a loving, forever home,” Wright said.

The supporters of the legislation are many

In addition to Representative Wright, other sponsors of the legislation include Representatives Matt Gaetz, of Florida; Greg Pence, of Indiana; Randy Weber, of Texas; John Carter, of Texas, and Gus Bilirakis, of Florida. Organizations that have backed the legislation include Project K-9 Hero, Mission K9 Rescue, and American Humane, among others.

“These K-9 heroes spent their career protecting us, so I want to spend the rest of mine protecting them,” Jason Johnson, founder of Project K-9 Hero said.

The Mission of MWDs

MWDs serve their country alongside their handlers and often suffer the effects of injuries sustained while performing their duties long after they retire from service. Their missions vary according to their training, and include security, explosive detection, and helping in the apprehension of terrorist leaders, such as al-Baghdadi, among other essential tasks.

How you can support MWDs

This important legislation helps to ensure that MWDs receive the medical care they need and remove the burden for that care from the various organizations that help them and the families who take them into their homes. In addition to providing donations to the organizations that help MWDs upon retirement, you can also adopt an MWD. For more, visit USWarDogs.org.

Here is a video with more on these amazing animals that selflessly serve militaries around the world.

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Source: Cone Of Shame