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In honor of K9 Veterans Day, an American flag, created in colors visible to dogs, was raised to celebrate the more than 30,000 dogs who have served in the United States military since 1942.
It is believed that dogs do not see the color red, so a yellow, white and blue striped flag has been created and was raised at the National WWI Museum and Memorial in Kansas City, commemorating the service and sacrifices of these American military and working dogs.
Former Military Working Dog Jet Li and his owner, Pan Douangdara, were the guests of honor at the flag raising ceremony. Jet Li is named after fallen Naval Special Warfare K-9 Handler John “Jet Li” Douangdara, Pan’s brother, who died in combat in Afghanistan in 2011. Upon Jet Li’s retirement (after two tours in Iraq and five years with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department) Project K-9 Hero was amazingly able to place Jet with a family so close to his military experience.
“It doesn’t matter if you’ve left the house for eight minutes or eight hours, dogs are always excited to see you again,” Douangdara said on Sunday. “You can throw a ball across the yard all afternoon, and they’ll act like it’s the most amazing game on the planet. They can sense when you’re sick and lie protectively near you. They can sense when you’re sad and nudge their nose with your hand affectionately. That’s a friendship a dog brings to your life. I am so grateful for Project K-9 Hero for bringing that friendship back into my life with K-9 Jet Li.”
In addition, on National K-9 Veterans Day on March 13, Facebook users are encouraged to fly the K-9 Veterans Day flag themselves with a special blue, white and yellow frame for their profile picture. Facebook members will find the commemorative frame on DreamBone’s Facebook page (@DreamBoneChews).
The initiative is a collaboration with Project K-9 Hero and DreamBone to salute our brave K-9 veterans. Project K-9 Hero honors and protects our nation’s retired Police K-9 and Military Working Dogs by providing assistance with medical costs, food and end of duty services. DreamBone is a proud supporter of Project K-9 Hero and this week’s K-9 Veterans Day activities. Its chews are rawhide free, highly digestible dog treats made with wholesome vegetables and real chicken, and enriched with vitamins and minerals.
About Project K-9 Hero
Project K-9 Hero honors and protects our nation’s retired Police K-9 and Military Working Dogs by providing assistance with medical costs, food and end of duty services. A 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Project K-9 Hero aims to ensure each K-9 hero is rewarded with health and the quality of life they deserve for their faithful and loyal service. Project K-9 Hero also educates the public on the costs and responsibilities of adopting a retired K-9 hero. For more information, visit projectk9hero.org.
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