Shelter Spotlight: Mission K9 Rescue
While the term “rescue mission” is often affiliated with disaster situations where survivors are in peril or hostages at risk, this particular mission has a decidedly brighter purpose and consistently upbeat outcome.
The Mission K9 Rescue out of Houston, Texas is a non-profit that takes in retired or retiring Military Working Dogs (MWD) and Contract Working Dogs (CWD) and with a confident mission-is-possible attitude, dedicates it’s time and resources to rescuing, reuniting, re-homing, rehabilitating and repairing the many pooches that put their lives on the line as working dogs in war zones.
Related: Florida Little Dog Rescue
A pretty daunting task for any group, especially when one realizes they offer this support to dogs worldwide.
So who are these furry heroes in need of re-homing? Typically they consist of German shepherd dogs, Labrador Retrievers, Springer Spaniels, Pointers, Weimareiners and even those spunky Jack Russells who are used for narcotics detection on submarines. Hey, a tight space calls for economy of scale!
As for their role overseas, both the MWDs and CWDs are trained experts in the detection of explosives, and narcotics and many have seen active duty in war zones. The MWDs are owned by the military/government while CWDs are on contract – same job, different title.
Related: Beagle Freedom Project
Because many have come from a rather traumatic background and may display symptoms of PTSD, Mission K9 Rescue is quick to point out that these dogs are not suitable as service dogs for the handicapped and are equally diligent when it comes to checking out the who’s who and what’s what of prospective adoptive families. Even going so far as to check with your veterinarian to determine how well you care for any existing pets and if your home set-up is appropriate to the breed. Gotta say that if there was a “like” box to check here, I’d be doing it!
Whether the dogs are brought back from overseas or rescued from less than ideal living conditions here in North America, the organization is committed to ensuring these pooches receive a deserving retirement for a job well done.
As a result, there is no guarantee that your stellar history will net you a retired working dog. Mission K9 Rescue is clear that they do not have kennels of dogs looking for homes but individual dogs that are rehabilitated as they become aware of, rescue and rehabilitate.
Additionally, the organization is committed to reuniting working dogs with their handlers if the home set-up meets their requirements. Under the category of “nice-to-know”, while successful adoptive pet parents need to cover the cost of transporting Rover to their home, Mission K9 Rescue covers the cost to transport any dog to his handler if the cost involves prohibits the adoption. Sweet!
But as pet parents, we’ve learned that absolutely everything associated with our fur-kids has a price tag attached to it and these dogs are no different. When you’re talking older dog with a heavily active past you just know there will be costs to rehabilitate and reintegrate him into a family environment as well as to repair weary bones and muscles. That’s where you can help.
Mission K9 Rescue is comprised of volunteers and funding that comes solely from public sector donations. If you aren’t in a position to adopt but would like to help offset medical bills or bring a little soldier home, consider a one-time donation, monthly or annual contribution.
Sharing space with three seriously judgy Schnoodles and a feline who prefers to be left alone. #LivingMyBestLife
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