Warrior Dog Foundation is a non-profit organization (EIN: 46-2092762) [1] located in the Cooper, Texas, United States that provides care and comfort to dogs that have ended their service supporting American troops. Its main goal is to give the dogs a place to live out their golden years having fun on a ranch with dignity and respect. [2]
The foundation helps to transition dogs from an operational environment into its state-of-the-art kennel facility. The foundation educates the public on the importance of K-9s in the combat environment, and showcases the level of sacrifice these dogs give in support of U.S. troops. The foundation cares for each individual SOF K-9 with dignity and grace, including both mental and physical rehabilitation for the rest of their lives. [3]
Warrior Dog Foundation was founded by former Navy SEAL Mike Ritland. [2]
It was started in 2013, its kennel is located Cooper, Texas. [4]
The beagle is a breed of small scent hound, similar in appearance to the much larger foxhound. The beagle was developed primarily for hunting hare (beagling). Possessing a great sense of smell and superior tracking instincts, the beagle is the primary breed used as a detection dog for prohibited agricultural imports and foodstuffs in quarantine around the world. The beagle is intelligent. It is a popular pet due to its size, good temper, and a lack of inherited health problems.
The Siberian Husky is a medium-sized working sled dog breed. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognizable by its thickly furred double coat, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings, and is smaller than the similar-looking Alaskan Malamute.
The Akita is a large breed of dog originating from the mountainous regions of northern Japan. There are two separate varieties of Akita: a Japanese strain, commonly called Akita Inu or Japanese Akita, and an American strain, known as the Akita or American Akita. The Japanese strain comes in a narrow palette of colors, with all other colors considered atypical of the breed, while the American strain comes in all dog colors. The Akita has a short double-coat similar to that of many other northern spitz breeds such as the Siberian Husky, but long-coated dogs can also be found in many litters due to a recessive gene.
The Labrador Retriever, often abbreviated to Labrador or "Lab", is a breed of retriever gun dog from the United Kingdom that was developed from imported Canadian flying dogs. The Labrador is one of the most popular dog breeds in a number of countries in the world, particularly in the Western world.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) is a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the United States. In addition to maintaining its pedigree registry, this kennel club also promotes and sanctions events for purebred dogs, including the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show, an annual event which predates the official forming of the AKC, the National Dog Show and the AKC National Championship. The AKC is a non-member partner with the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
The Vizsla is a dog breed from Hungary and belongs to the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) group 7, the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC) group 1, and the American Kennel Club. Its name means "searcher" or "tracker" in Hungarian. The Hungarian or Magyar Vizsla or Smooth-Haired Vizsla are sporting dogs and loyal companions. The Vizsla's medium size is one of the breed's most appealing characteristics. As a hunter of fowl and upland game, the Vizsla has held a prominent position among sporting dogs – that of household companion and family dog.
The Kennel Club ("KC") is the official kennel club of the United Kingdom. It is the oldest recognised kennel club in the world. Its role is to oversee various canine activities including dog shows, dog agility and working trials. It also operates the national register of pedigree dogs in the United Kingdom and acts as a lobby group on issues involving dogs in the UK. Its headquarters are on Clarges Street in Mayfair, London, with business offices in Aylesbury.
The Pembroke Welsh Corgi is a cattle herding dog breed that originated in Pembrokeshire, Wales. It is one of two breeds known as a Welsh Corgi. The other is the Cardigan Welsh Corgi, and both descend from the line of northern spitz-type dogs.
The Saint Bernard or St. Bernard is a breed of very large working dog from the Western Alps in Italy and Switzerland. They were originally bred for rescue work by the hospice of the Great St Bernard Pass on the Italian-Swiss border. The hospice, built by and named after Italian monk Bernard of Menthon, acquired its first dogs between 1660 and 1670. The breed has become famous through tales of Alpine rescues, as well as for its large size, and gentle temperament.
The American Bulldog is a large breed of utility dog descended from the Old English Bulldog. They are now used on animal farms, dog sports, and for showing. They are part of American culture and history, and may be used as a cultural icon for the United States. They are generally represented as being strong and tough. In November 2019, the American Bulldog was added to the American Kennel Club (AKC) Foundation Stock Service (FSS).
Move America Forward is a nonprofit military charity based in Sacramento, California. Howard Kaloogian, Melanie Morgan and Sal Russo established the organization in 2004. The organization supports front-line United States Armed Forces troops serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Leonberger is a giant mountain dog breed, associated particularly with water rescue, whose name derives from the city of Leonberg in Baden-Württemberg, Germany.
Dogs in warfare have a very long history starting in ancient times. From being trained in combat, to their use as scouts, sentries, messengers, mercy dogs, and trackers, their uses have been varied and some continue to exist in modern military usage.
The Moscow Watchdog is a breed of dog that was bred in the former Soviet Union. It descends from crosses between the St. Bernard and Caucasian Shepherd Dog. It contains the physical size, attractiveness and intelligence of a St. Bernard and the awareness and assertive traits of a Caucasian Shepherd Dog.
Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) is a guide dog school located in the United States, with campuses in San Rafael, California, and Boring, Oregon. It was founded in 1942 by Lois Merrihew and Don Donaldson to help veterans who had been blinded in World War II. Guide Dogs for the Blind has about 2100 Guide Dog teams across the United States and Canada.
Svenska Kennelklubben is a Swedish organization dedicated to purebred dogs, and dog owners. It was formed on 13 December 1889 by a group of noblemen and hunters with the aim to maintain the capability of good hunting dogs. According to its charter, the goals of the organization are "to create interest in, and promote, the breeding of mentally and physically healthy purebred dogs that are adequate in terms of working and hunting and that have a favorable appearance".
The Military Working Dog Teams National Monument is a monument to military working dogs located at Joint Base San Antonio (JBSA)-Lackland in San Antonio, Texas. The monument represents handlers, dogs, and veterinary support, from all military service branches that have made up the Military Working Dog program since World War II. The monument grounds include a 3,000 square feet granite plaza, granite pedestals, granite history wall, granite benches and water fountain. The granite pedestals have large bronze statues of dogs and handlers. The monument was dedicated on October 28, 2013.
K9s For Warriors is an American charity and veterans service organization that provides service dogs to veterans. The organization trains rescue dogs to help veterans coping with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), traumatic brain injury, military sexual trauma, post-9/11 issues and other psychological challenges associated with military service.
Michael B. Ritland born in Waterloo, Iowa is a former United States Navy SEAL, public speaker and dog trainer. He created the Warrior Dog Foundation, to provide care to dogs that have ended their service in battle front, and the Team Dog Online Training Community.
Animal Kingdom Foundation or simply AKF, is a non-profit animal welfare non-governmental organization based in the Philippines. Founded in 2002, it is committed to "improving the living and welfare conditions of animals", eliminating the cruel trade of dog meat for human consumption in the Philippines, the protection and promotion of animal welfare by advocating an improvement to their living conditions and by campaigning to eliminate causes that bring about pain and discomfort to the animals.