SabreRed

Mission K9 Rescue

A portion of every sale will be donated to a veteran’s service organization, like K9s For Warriors & Mission K9 Rescue.

Mission K9 Rescue is a dedicated animal welfare organization that is saving as many working dogs as possible in hopes of offering them comfortable, peaceful and loving homes in which to spend the remainder of their lives.

“There’s an assumption that these working dogs are automatically being taken care of after they leave service,” says Mission K9 president Kristen Maurer, “but that’s not the case. A lot of them are stuck in kennels — not just in the U.S., but overseas. We really need to get them back. We want to honor these dogs that have given their lives for us. We want to make sure they come back and get the retirement they deserve.”

Mission K9’s work centers on the “5 Rs”:

* RESCUE – Mission K9 Rescue is committed to saving any and all CWDs (contractor working dogs) and MWDs (military working dogs), as well as any other working dog that may need help (such as retired police dogs). This work may include bringing them back from overseas or rescuing them out of a poor environment stateside.

* REUNITE – Mission K9 Rescue prioritizes reuniting retired working dogs with a past handler who is both interested in permanent adoption and has proven that they can offer a safe and loving home for the animal. Mission K9 sees to it that the dog is transported to their new home — often at great expense, due to the very limited number of airlines who agree to transport these dogs.

* RE-HOME – For any working dog who does not have a designated handler, Mission K9 Rescue works tirelessly to find the perfect loving home for the dog.

* REHABILITATE – Retired working dogs frequently come to Mission K9 from high-intensity and potentially traumatizing circumstances that have caused them severe anxiety and stress. Many retire with issues such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). These dogs need time to decompress and reintegrate into society. Mission K9 Rescue works with them as long as necessary to help them become suitable for adoption.

* REPAIR – Working dogs train like professional athletes their entire career. When they retire, they often have extensive, costly medical issues. Since these dogs don’t receive retirement benefits, Mission K9 Rescue raises the much-needed funding to assist handlers and/or adopters with medical bills.

“We’re raising funds to take care of these dogs — to bring dogs back from all over the world where they are stuck in kennels after retirement, and to provide medical care for working dogs who have worked like athletes their entire lives and now have injuries and health issues. It can be really costly to get them ready for adoption,” explains Mission K9 president Kristen Maurer.

“Plus,” Kristen adds, “just like with two-legged soldiers, four-legged soldiers can come back with emotional issues. Some of them have been isolated their entire life, and they need to learn how to get along with other dogs and people. They need special rehabilitation. These dogs were drafted into what they did; they didn’t choose it. They have selflessly given their lives to protect our soldiers, our first responders, and our citizens. And we feel like they deserve the best retirement we can give them.”