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US War Dogs 25th Anniversary Event

A Moment for MWD PPuritan

Our aim for US War Dogs’ 25th anniversary celebration was to share some special moments that brought our mission to life and one such moment came when War Dogs volunteer team member, Suzette Scott, took to the stage to help us present an MWD Service Award to MWD PPuritan.



Suzette – who served as a dog handler with the US Marine Corps – took to the stage to tell the story of how US War Dogs’ MWD Service Award came to be.

US War Dogs volunteer Suzette Scott presents to the audience about the MWD Service Award


As the War on Terror raged on, MWDs fought valiantly in Iraq and Afghanistan alongside their human counterparts; Utilizing their unique skills to save lives and force multiply. 


Many MWDs were spending their whole careers in combat and when they completed their service, received no official recognition from the military. Our founding president, Ron, and the other board members, wanted to change this. 


They approached their local congressman in New Jersey to petition him to bring in a service medal that would be issued to every outgoing MWD on completion of their service. 


After years of trying, political powers were unable to mandate such an award, but the board members felt it was too important to pass over and decided to inaugurate the award as part of US War Dogs’ mission. 


Since 2010, any retiring MWD’s handler or adoptive family member can apply for an MWD Service Award from US War Dogs and is a small token of our appreciation for a job well done.



Watch the moment that our current board members Chris Willingham, Chuck Rotenberry and Aaron Stice were joined by founding president Ron Aiello to present PPuritan with his award – in front of 200 cheering witnesses.

It’s a Wrap for Q1 of 2026!

March 29, 2026
It’s a Wrap for Q1 of 2026! Our president, Chris Willingham, takes a look back at the first three months of the year.

Paying it Forward

March 29, 2026
Paying it Forward As you’ll know, 2025 was our 25 th anniversary year and our celebrations were designed to echo key parts of our mission – supporting MWDs, their handlers and families, past, present and future.

US War Dogs 25th Anniversary Ceremony: Honoring Our Fallen

January 9, 2026
US War Dogs 25 th Anniversary Event Honoring Our Fallen

US War Dogs 25th Anniversary: Recognizing Our Supporters

January 9, 2026
US War Dogs 25 th Anniversary Event Recognizing Our Supporters

US War Dogs 25th Anniversary: Reflections on a Quarter Century of Care

January 9, 2026
US War Dogs 25 th Anniversary Event Reflections on a Quarter Century of Care

US War Dogs 25th Anniversary Celebration: A Year of Celebration

January 9, 2026
US War Dogs 25 th Anniversary Event A Year of Celebration

Honoring the K-9 Community: The Human Stories Behind Monuments and Memorials

January 9, 2026
US War Dogs 25 th Anniversary Event Honoring the K-9 Community: The Human Stories Behind Monuments and Memorials

US War Dogs’ 25th Birthday Celebrations: Full Circle Moments

January 9, 2026
US War Dogs’ 25th Birthday Celebrations: Full Circle Moments

US War Dogs’ Org Update – Q3, 2025

October 4, 2025
US War Dogs’ Org Update – Q3, 2025 As is our custom, War Dogs president Chris Willingham has penned an overview of what the organization has been up to over the summer months. As always, it’s been a busy one, so strap in and let’s get into it… What’s going on, K-9 fam?! I hope you have all had a great summer and feel ready to enjoy some cooler temperatures as we move into the fall. The team and I have been grinding and doing our thing to support K-9s – active and retired, while supporting the wider community by attending events and spreading the good word of US War Dogs. War Dogs Support  We were honored to welcome 41 new retired MWDs to our Rx Program and take care of over $34,799 worth of medications. Our Specialized Care program has evolved to cover the cost of certain long term treatments for RMWDs and Emergency Care program, which covers the cost of surgeries and emergency treatment, has continued to gather pace too: We covered $44,690 of treatments for 19 retired dogs across these two key programs, during the quarter. These initiatives are making a real difference to the lives of retired K-9s and their adopted families – we absolutely love hearing all the positive feedback about the programs and feel truly honored that we can play a practical role in caring for our K-9 heroes.

Making a Stand for K-9

October 4, 2025
Making a Stand for K-9 When second year law student Robert Finkbeiner was drafted to join the war effort in Vietnam, he had no idea what was in store for him and the impact that his combat deployment would have on the rest of his life. US War Dogs was honored to speak to Robert about his service and how he used his unique skillset in fierce defence of military K-9s, whose sad plight we know all-too well. Robert’s son David, reached out to us to feature his dad’s story – we are so grateful for the chance to share his experiences.