Twenty-five service and military dogs from around the country were honored to mark K-9 Veterans’ Day. Charities Park Ridge Animal Hospital and Support Our 4 Legged Soldiers co-hosted the event, in conjunction with Tails of Hope Foundation, reports Philip DeVencentis for the North Jersey Record.
Dogs who perform tasks as varied as bomb- and arson-detection, military sentry and tracking duties, and performing tasks for the disabled, were honored for their work.
The highlight of the ceremony was the awarding of the Sirius Courage Award to David Kontny, FBI chief of staff for the joint program office for countering improvised explosive devices. The award is named in honor of Sirius, a PAPD K-9, who was the only working dog killed during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
