Mission K9 Rescue: The Heroes Behind Saving America's Senior Working Dogs

Learn about the heroes at Mission K9 Rescue, saving America’s senior working dogs. Support their mission today!

The article titled “Saving Senior Working Dogs Who’ve Served America” from Dogster focuses on the efforts of a nonprofit organization called Mission K9 Rescue (MK9).

Here are the key points from the article:

Mission K9 Rescue (MK9): This organization is dedicated to rescuing, reuniting, rehoming, rehabilitating, and repairing retired military and contract working dogs in need of homes. Since its inception in 2013 by founders Kristen Maurer, Louisa Kastner, and Bob Bryant, MK9 has saved over 1,300 dogs from all around the world. They have also successfully reunited more than 540 of these dogs with their former military handlers.
Location: The nonprofit 501 (c) 3 organization is headquartered in Houston, Texas, and has satellite offices in San Antonio and Los Angeles.
Five Rs: Mission K9 focuses on its five Rs:
- Rescue: Rescuing dogs in need.
- Reuniting: Bringing dogs back together with their former handlers.
- Rehoming: Finding new homes for the dogs.
- Rehabilitating: Helping dogs, some of whom suffer from PTSD.
- Repair: Ensuring the dogs are healthy.
Efficient Use of Donations: Out of every dollar donated to MK9, 93 cents go directly to their work with the dogs. The organization prides itself on not wasting donor funds and often avoids unnecessary expenses to ensure maximum funds are used for the dogs.
Challenges: Rescuing senior working dogs comes with its unique challenges. For instance, in 2022, MK9 rescued 10 contract working dogs from Turkey during a CDC rabies ban. These dogs tested positive for heartworms, but after treatment in the USA, they all became heartworm-free and were placed in loving homes.
Outreach: Mission K9 is looking for more individuals and companies to spread the word about their work to continue their growth. They can be found online at missionk9rescue.org and on social media under the handle @missionk9.

***Bob Bryant (pictured) with MK9 co-founders Kristen Maurer***

The article was written by Melissa L. Kauffman, the Group Editorial Director of Catster/Dogster, and was published on July 25, 2023.

In the comments section, there’s a mention of another article that provides a comprehensive guide on caring for senior or aged dogs. This guide can be found at dogfoodfit.com/caring-for-senior-or-aged-dogs-best-how-to-guide/.