Petco Love - Helping MK9 Rescue Working Dogs Around The World
Mission K9 Rescue Receives $50,000 Grant from Petco Love Foundation to Save Working Dogs
At Mission K9 Rescue, our mission is to bring retired working dogs home, where they can enjoy the love and comfort they deserve after years of dedicated service. Today, we are thrilled to share the news of a $50,000 grant awarded to us by the Petco Love Foundation in 2023. This generous grant has made a significant impact, allowing us to transport a group of contract working dogs from Afghanistan to the United States and provide them with the veterinary care they need.
The journey these dogs have taken is nothing short of remarkable. Each of these brave animals served alongside our troops, protecting lives and offering companionship in some of the most challenging environments. When their service came to an end, they faced uncertainty and were left behind. Thanks to the support from Petco Love Foundation, we were able to ensure that these dogs made it safely back to the United States, where they can now begin a new chapter of their lives.
Transporting dogs from a conflict zone is no small task. It involves careful planning, coordination, and a lot of resources. The Petco Love Foundation’s grant covered the costs of this complex operation, including the logistics of bringing the dogs home and the critical veterinary care they required upon arrival. This care is essential, ensuring that the dogs are healthy and ready to be placed in loving forever homes.
We want to extend our heartfelt thanks to the Petco Love Foundation for their support. This grant truly is life-saving. It has given these loyal dogs a chance to live out their lives in peace, surrounded by love and care. We are deeply grateful for this partnership and for the opportunity to continue our work in rescuing and rehabilitating retired working dogs.
As we move forward, we are committed to honoring the trust that Petco Love Foundation has placed in us. We will continue to provide the highest level of care for these dogs and work tirelessly to find them the loving homes they deserve. Thank you, Petco Love Foundation, for being a part of this mission and for helping us make a difference in the lives of these incredible dogs.
You might remember that we wrapped up 2022 in a really positive way, all thanks to the support of people like you. This allowed us to kick off 2023 feeling financially secure. But, the first few months of the year have been busy, and while we’ve done a lot of good work, our funds have been reduced quite a bit.
I wish I didn’t have to ask this, but the situation is such that we really need to.
Would you consider making a special contribution at this time? I promise you, every cent will be used wisely to continue the work we care so much about.
Thank you so much for always supporting us.
Your help is incredibly important to us, especially now.
With Gratitude – Kristen Maurer, President and Founder
Remember that we NEVER waste money and put 92% or more of every dollar received directly to the dogs.
Since January 2023 we’ve reunited 27 MWD’s with their Handlers and spent over $44,000 in care for our nations’s hero dogs. Your help enables us to continue!
This summer we have the following needs:
Four reunions to complete by end of August – $16000 (appx)
Two dogs needing Hip Replacements – $9000
Provide normal care for the 60 dogs in our facility – (this varies in cost)
Normal Staffing Expenses to operate our facility.
Anything you can financially help with at this time will be greatly appreciated!
Petco Love’s Unwavering Commitment: A Heartfelt Thank You from Mission K9 Rescue
At Mission K9 Rescue, our primary objective has always been to ensure the safety, well-being, and long-term care of retired working dogs. These noble canines, after a lifetime of service, deserve nothing less than a loving forever home and the support they need to transition seamlessly from work to rest. Yet, as with all philanthropic endeavors, our ability to realize this dream is often dependent on the help and support we receive from the community and generous benefactors.
Today, we would like to take a moment to send our deepest gratitude to one such benefactor: Petco Love.
In 2022, Petco Love extended a helping hand to our cause by awarding us a substantial grant of $75,000. This grant wasn’t merely a donation; it was a lifeline. Every dollar contributed goes directly to the rescue, rehabilitation, and rehoming of retired working dogs who have served in various capacities – from police and military service to search and rescue missions.
Petco Love, as a foundation, has been a beacon of hope for countless animal rescue organizations nationwide. Their unwavering commitment to bettering the lives of pets and those who love them is evident in every project they undertake and every grant they provide. For many organizations like ours, their support has made the difference between hope and despair.
But why is this grant so essential for Mission K9 Rescue?
Retired working dogs, much like veterans, come with unique challenges. While their spirits remain strong, their bodies often bear the scars of their service – both seen and unseen. Physical injuries, trauma, and the stresses of their demanding work can leave them in need of specialized medical care, training, and rehabilitation. The financial burden of these services is significant, but with Petco Love’s generous grant, we can assure that more of these heroes receive the care they deserve.
Moreover, the journey of these dogs doesn’t end at rehabilitation. Finding them the perfect forever home, where they can enjoy the remainder of their days surrounded by love, comfort, and care, is a task that requires resources and dedication. With the funding from Petco Love, we can expand our reach, amplify our efforts, and ensure that every retired working dog under our care finds its way to a loving family.
The ripple effect of Petco Love’s contribution goes beyond the immediate needs of our organization. By supporting our mission, they have indirectly touched the lives of countless individuals – from the teams that work tirelessly at our centers to the families that open their hearts and homes to these retired canines. Stories of joy, reunions, and new beginnings have been made possible, in no small part, due to their generosity.
To say we are grateful would be an understatement. We are, in fact, overwhelmed by the kindness and trust Petco Love has shown in our mission. As we look forward to this new year, filled with hope and aspirations for the many retired working dogs we vow to serve, we are comforted by the knowledge that we have allies like Petco Love by our side.
We believe that every act of kindness, every ounce of effort, and every dollar donated can create transformative change. And Petco Love has, once again, proven this belief to be true.
In conclusion, to the team at Petco Love, to every individual who supports their mission, and to those who believe in the power of collaboration for a better world – from the bottom of our hearts, thank you. Your generosity illuminates the path we tread and inspires us to do more, be more, and serve more.
Here’s to more success stories, more wagging tails, and a brighter future for all our retired heroes. Together, with supporters like Petco Love, we can make the world a better place, one dog at a time.
CWD Angel is one of five Contract Working Dogs we were able to get out of Afghanistan shortly before the US withdrawal commenced. Not in the best health, Angel caught a fungal lung infection that required immediate vet care within days of her arrival. She is much improved and will be fine. We were fortunate to rescue her, yet others remain and their fate is not secure.
At this time we are aware that all US Military Working Dogs have been evacuated from Afghanistan, yet 67 or more US Allied Working Dog Teams (Handlers and Dogs) remain in uncertainty regarding their fate there. These Contract Working Dogs and their Handlers have been valuable assets in this conflict. Their safety and security should be a priority.
With that said, we can promise NOTHING as we are not on the ground there and have no control over the situation.
We ask that you keep them in your positive thoughts and prayers while they wait and hope for a favorable outcome.
We ready to act, yet can do noting until we get word that we can assist with their evacuation. We will need funding at that time.
Should your choose to give now, those funds will be used toward this effort.
MissionK9Rescue was formed and is based in Houston, Texas. We operate World Wide.
Please take the time to donate to MissionK9 Rescue. Your donations help us with all the expenses related to our mission.
Now through August 31, 2020, for every bag of KineticPerformance Dog Food purchased from Tractor Supply Co., Kinetic is giving $10.00 to the important work being done by Mission K9 Rescue.
All of the retired working dogs cared for by Mission K9 eat Kinetic Pro Performance dog food. It is very digestible, no problems with food upset, and also produces a healthy firm stool. That last bit may sound like too much information, but great bowel movements are a really big deal when you are caring for lots of dogs, plus it’s a sign that they dogs are using it efficiently. We demand the best for our working dogs. Kinetic delivers that performance!
“Mission K9 Rescue is really kind of a unique organization. What they do is work with retired working dogs, from the military as well as other working dogs that are performing security services at either our facilities overseas or in the U.S. And what they do is they actually bring the dog back to Houston,Texas and they rehabilitate the canine. It’s a fascinating group and a great group of people, and this is something we feel we can give back.”
“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 Rescue 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.”
Mission K9 Rescue is GIVING AWAY our K9 Challenge Coins to all supporters that start a $50 Facebook Fundraiser!We’ve received a lot of compliments on these coins and know you will enjoy receiving one while knowing how much you are helping retired working dogs.
These small fundraisers help us so much and cost you no more than the time to post on your personal Facebook page.
You’ll receive a coin when we see that your fundraiser is active, no matter how much is raised for Mission K9!To create a $50 Facebook Fundraiser for Mission K9 Rescue, just follow these directions – Simple and Easy!
When you click the link above, you will see:
Simply Put $50 for the amount to raise and select a date ONE MONTH AWAY as the goal date.Then click “NEXT”Here’s what to put in the post..Title – Support Military Working Dogs
Why you are raising money:
I’m raising money for Mission K9 Rescue and your contribution will make an impact, whether you donate $5 or $500. Every little bit helps.
My goal is only $50 – Help me reach it!
Mission K9 Rescues, Reunites, Re-Homes, Rehabilitates and Repairs any retired working dog that has served mankind in some capacity.
Since 2013 they have brought over 1100 dogs home from overseas and reunited over 540 with their former military handlers.
Thank you so much for helping save K9 Lives!
Click – NEXT
Chose the selected photo and click – CREATE
That’s it! The Fundraiser will be live on your page.
To receive your coin once you have created the fundraiser, EMAIL BARK@MISSIONK9RESCUE.ORG and provide us with your mailing address to send YOUR coin to!
Thank you so much for helping us serve working dogs around the world!
As we enter our 7th year of “Serving Our Nation’s Working Dogs” we wanted to give those of you that may be unfamiliar with our work some history and information about our organization and mission.
Mission K9 Rescue was founded in the early fall of 2013 by Kristen Maurer, Louisa Kastner, and Bob Bryant. Both Maurer (Masters in Non Profit Management) and Kastner (Army Veterinary Technician) had prior experience with Military and Contract Working Dogs while Bryant was an advertising and fundraising specialist that gained a passion for the work after meeting both women a year prior to the start of the organization.
The founders were an excellent fit together, each having unique specialties and business skills that quickly ramped up the growth of the organization. Their initial focus was on reuniting Military Working Dogs with prior handlers, yet that quickly changed once they learned the plight of Contract Working Dogs that were often kept far too long in bad situations overseas. Soon, they began to receive many requests to help these Working Dogs as well, securing local kennel space to house them.
MissionK9’s presence on social media has been key to getting the word out about our mission. In just 6 years we’ve grown our Facebook page to over 98,000 active and engaged fans. That has helped us continue funding our mission through individual donations and gives us the ability to have needs seen and helped to be filled without waiting for website visitors to learn of our needs.
Many would be surprised to learn that most of the donations that allow us to complete our work is from individuals. Many great donors have helped us through when needs were great. We have some awesome sponsors, with the Petco Foundation providing us with grants for over 3 years now. Another great sponsor is the United States War Dogs Association. They have helped us from the beginning with transportation funding and we are recognized as Chapter 6 of their organization. We can’t thank our sponsors enough. They have helped our organization grow and provided much needed funding through the years.
Now, more than ever we need to grow beyond our current financial reach and we are actively seeking more sponsors. We will honor your gifts and make you proud!
In 2016 we began work on our Veteran K9 Ranch in the Houston area. This 4 acre property was converted into a kennel and rehabilitation facility that houses around 30 dogs at most times, with others in medical boarding. We will soon have a hospice facility for dogs that could not otherwise be adopted to provide a loving environment for the most difficult dogs.
This fall (2019) we hope to improve the ranch with a second kennel, doubling our capacity. We are also retrofitting an RV that will allow us to complete more stateside transports efficiently and saving thousands on travel expenses.
Since 2013, Mission K9 Rescue has brought over 500 working dogs home from worldwide locations including Military Working Dogs, Contract Working Dogs, Police K9’s and Mine Detection Dogs. Over 280 of these dogs were reunited with their former handlers.
From our inception we have covered the cost of veterinary care for 1000’s of dogs and that keeps increasing with growth. In 2018 we paid out over $250,000 for veterinary care alone!
Something we are really proud of is that 91 cents out of every dollar donated to us goes directly to our work. Nothing is wasted and no one is sitting on expensive leather chairs drawing high salaries. Each of the founders puts in over 70 hours per week on average. It’s a passion. We have grown to a staff of 15 full and part time employees that help us to Rescue, Rehabilitate, Reunite, or Re-home any working dog that has served in some capacity.
We have a PLATINUM RATING on GuideStar.org – https://www.guidestar.org/profile/46-4302698One current funding need we have is to bring 10 working dogs home from Kuwait – https://bitly.com/kuwaitdogsPeople ask us… “What’s your dream?”Our answer is two fold:
To find a Company, Individual, or Foundation that will help sustain our work financially so that we are able to reach our full potential. We are only limited by funding. Every year we have increased our work and reach, yet there are so many times when we struggle and know that with enough outreach we will find a perfect fit that we can both honor and serve through our work. We know that perfect fit is there and we are willing to travel to meet with those that may choose to sustain us.
For there to be no need for us. We dream of the day when every working dog gets a trip home from overseas, when a perfect adopter is waiting for each one, when vet care is free or affordable for them, and every handler gets to be reunited with their K9 partner. Until then, we will serve them.
We want to thank everyone that supports us, shares our posts, and has good things to say about our work. We hope to meet more of you that share our vision to help accelerate our growth in the coming years.Thank YOU for supporting Mission K9 Rescue!
Mission K9 was featured during the annual Westminister Kennel Club Show on February 12th, 2019. We can’t thank Ron Aiello and the United States War Dogs Association enough for connecting us with FS1.
FS1 came to our Veteran K9 Ranch just north of Houston to film the segment you can view here:
We are very thankful for the generous help you give through your donations, which allow us to provide aid to hardworking dogs so in need of human love and care. However, we need greater help to allow us to continue our mission with greater efficiency and depend on donations less.
The aid of corporate and individual sponsors would make a huge difference in our ability to continue to grow and carry out our mission going forward.
Do you know any person or company who would be interested in supporting our mission?
Please share our story.
We will be very thankfull for every help you show on dogs conference about HIV evidence.
And, if you wish to become our sponsor or know someone who would sponsor MK9, send an email to bark@missionk9rescue.org and request our Marketing Packet.
Not all Working Dog Contractors remain financially stable. When they suffer financially, dogs suffer too and are often left waiting for someone else to bring them home.
17 Retired Bomb and Drug Dogs are WAITING NOW in Kuwait – the LAST of the dogs from this company!
They are getting NO EXERCISE. Working Dogs NEED Stimulation – They get NONE!
The average cost to transport a dog from Kuwait, provide boarding, health certificates, vet care and enrichment is approximately $2000 per dog.
We are MissionK9Rescue – Google “MissionK9” or “MissionK9Rescue” to see our work.
THANKS TO YOUR GENEROUS DONATIONS – THEY ARE HOME!
MissionK9Rescue was formed and is based in Houston, Texas.
We’ve received a lot of compliments on these coins and know you will enjoy receiving one while knowing how much you are helping retired working dogs.
These small fundraisers help us so much and cost you no more than the time to post on your personal Facebook page.
You’ll receive a coin when we see that your fundraiser is active, no matter how much is raised for Mission K9!
To create a $50 Facebook Fundraiser for Mission K9 Rescue, just follow these directions – Simple and Easy!
Simply Put $50 for the amount to raise and select a date ONE MONTH AWAY as the goal date.
Then click “NEXT”
Here’s what to put in the post..
Title – Support Military Working Dogs
