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March 13 is National K-9 Veterans Day

Posted at 9:40 AM, Mar 13, 2018
and last updated 2018-03-13 12:53:43-04

March 13 is a special day to honor the service and sacrifices of American military and working dogs.

On March 13, 1942, the U.S. Army began training dogs for their new War Dog Program, or “K9 Corps.”

According to History.com, the American Kennel Association and a group called Dogs for Defense worked together to find healthy and capable animals for the U.S. Army. While they initially accepted over 30 breeds of dogs, the list was narrowed to just seven – German Shepherds, Belgian sheep dogs, Doberman Pinschers, collies, Siberian Huskies, Malumutes and Eskimo dogs.

The Quartermaster Corps of the U.S. Army later became responsible for training dogs for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard as well.

Dogs are trained and used not just for the military but also in police, fire-rescue, and tactical situations, where they put their lives on the line just like their human counterparts.