Land of the free, home of the brave… dogs!

This Veterans Day we’re honoring the U.S. military dogs who have proudly served our country over the course of their lives. Just think of all the amazing feats they’ve accomplished over the years, most recently aiding in the 2019 raid in Syria. This year, we’d like to share a few of our favorite military dog facts to thank them for their years of service.

1. So many dogs, so many years. Our military currently employs over 2,500 military dogs. They have been officially serving in our military since World War 1.
2. Take Us to Texas. All training begins at the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.
3. (Don’t) Bite Me! Approximately half of all dogs don’t make it through the training program. One of the top reasons for this is the stress they display when they are trained to bite humans.
4. Keep It Varied. Different breeds are preferred by specific branches of our military, including Labradors, Belgian Malinois, and German Shepherds.
5. Clever Pups! Explosive detection dogs have a 98% accuracy rate.
6. A Decade Later… The average length of a military dog’s career is 8-9 years.
7. Let’s Take a Trip. The United States War Dogs Memorial (LINK) is located in Holmdel, New Jersey.
8. We Love a Happy Ending! Almost 90% of retired dogs are adopted by their former handlers! Robby’s Law was passed in 2000 that helps the adoption of military dogs by former handlers, law enforcement agencies, and other capable owners.

If you’d like to contribute to the wellbeing of our four-legged veterans, please consider donating to https://www.saveavet.org/.