Military Working Dog Team Support Association, Inc
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by Dixie Gilmore Whitman Photos are from my personal library and are my property or have been shared with me by friends. Please enjoy, but please do not copy, print or otherwise use these images. What Is MWDTSA? • MWDTSA is a non- profit, all-volunteer organization founded by dog fanciers and a Vietnam dog handler as a way to channel donations, goods and services in support of our missions. What are MWDTSA Missions? Mission: Military Working Dog Team Support Association, Inc. (MWDTSA) is a 501 (c) (3) organization whose missions are to support: · Military Working Dog Teams (Support and recognition) · Veteran Dog Handler events/causes · Advocating on behalf of retired Military Dogs · War Dog Memorials · Educational opportunities regarding the use and history of Military Working Dogs, also known as “War Dogs”. Why Do We Support Dog Teams? As an avid German shepherd dog fancier, I remained a student of all that my dogs could do. When I ran into photos taken in Vietnam, such as the one at left, and then learned that these brave dogs had been abandoned at war’s end, I was heart- broken. As I began to meet the men who handled these dogs in Vietnam, I found their emotional wounds were still raw and the country’s treatment on their return nothing short of disgraceful. Meeting the Right People Early on, I began to meet Vietnam Veterans who were interested in supporting the current dog teams and making sure that the shameful reception received from their country upon returning home from serving her, would not be visited on another generation of dog handlers. Past Turns into Present In working with Veteran handlers, we also started working with current handlers War Dog Memorial & Reunion at Fort Benning How We Do It. What we do. As a small non-profit with limited resources, we tackled each task with the belief that once people knew and understood what these dog teams accomplished, they would want to help. We began as individuals by honoring veteran dog handlers at events, by creating a recognition for them and simply by saying “thank you for your service and sacrifice”. With formal Thank You to Handlers via recognition events. Former Georgia Gov. Perdue recognizes handlers. We Attended Events & Reunions With Vietnam era Combat Trackers from the 62nd CTT in Washington, D. C. By Sending Support to Deployed Teams What Kinds of Support Do We Receive? • We receive Product In-Kind donations from individuals and corporations that can be sent to our deployed dog teams. • (See our Sponsors link for more details on our generous donors & sponsors.) We Receive Letters & Artwork Created by children and adults alike, our letters of appreciation and our children’s artwork can be included with other items in packages. We Love Our Supporters Veterans, students, Board Members and others who appreciate the important job these teams do help us create, imagine, fund, respond & spread the word. (And, yes indeed, that is Muse Watson who plays Mike Franks on NCIS.) Money is VERY important. Money makes us more flexible – to purchase immediate needs AND to cover shipping expenses. What kind of responses do we receive from those we support? "Thank you so much for the "I want to say thank you for care package! I've all you do. You have already put the coffee done so much for our cup to work and Agbar program and it never is giving the ball his best ceases to amaze me lol. I can't thank you seeing your name on enough for the support things. You are we receive from your wonderful and we are all organization." lucky to have people like you supporting us. Once again thank you." From Fred, Army Handler in Afghanistan SSG Scott Thank You Photos Air Force Cots for older dogs Chew toys for everyone Thank You Photos Army Chew toys And light hearted accessories for handlers to photograph their dogs. Thank you Photos Marines Recognitions and grooming supplies Thank you photos Navy The most important thing that we send are messages of support and appreciation to those deployed in harm’s way. What Does MWDTSA Need? Money-financial donations Products from our Wish List Volunteers with time and skills in speaking, writing, editing, fund raising, computers, marketing and more. Connections to people who might be able to help us. Enjoy a few of our favorite photos These members of the Army Navy Air Force Marines & Coast Guard (These guys are standing in for Coast Guard dogs.) Deserve our support. MWDTSA is committed to supporting our heroes on both ends of the leash. Heroes such as 26-year-old John Douangdara, one of the 30 Americans on-board a Chinook helicopter that was shot down in a raid over eastern Afghanistan. Douangdara of South Sioux City, Nebraska, was the lead dog handler for his unit, supporting the Elite Team Six of Navy SEALS. Douangdara was in his fifth deployment; serving three times in Afghanistan and twice in Iraq. Many thanks to his family for sharing this photo and his dog handler friends whose respect and love are reflected in their memories of this amazing dog handler. MWDTSA Website: www.mwdtsa.org With Blog, Photos, Newsletters to Educate – all free of charge. Donations via Pay Pal and more Mailing address: MWDTSA P.O. Box 5864 Canton, GA 30114 .