When You Deploy, Where Does Your Dog Go?

No one should have to give up a pet because they have to go somewhere with the military. The Dogs on Deployment organization is a great program for helping service members prepare for a deployment.

Their purpose is to find a place for a service member’s pet to go during a deployment or other military obligation. Not everyone has family members or friends who can take the animals and it can be a frustrating situation when that happens. In a lot of cases the animal has to go to a shelter since the service member will not be able to take their pet with them.

In addition to that, Dogs on Deployment promotes lifelong, responsible pet ownership within the military community. They do this by advocating for pet owner rights on military installations, providing education and resources about pet ownership, granting financial assistance for emergencies, promoting pet insurance and vaccinations as well as the need to spay or neuter animals. The organization also works to make sure everyone has access to the Dogs on Deployment program.

Dogs on Deployment boards pets of all types that belong to active duty, reservists, National Guard, honorably discharged veterans and their families. DoD was started in June 2011 by Shawn and Alisa Johnson, who serve in the Navy and Marine Corps, respectively. They themselves have been in a situation where they needed a program like this for their own pets.

This program is a great one because of the need for help with pets when you have to go away for military duty. No one should have to give up a pet because they have to go somewhere with the military. Even a short-term assignment could cause distress for people who don’t have anyone to watch their animals. The cost of boarding a dog for that long would not be within anyone’s budget either.

If you would like to support this organization, you can make a financial donation, become a sponsor, share their program on social media or even shop on their site. If you would like to board a pet, after registering with the site, you can search to see what pets are available in your area and the dates needed for pet foster care.

This organization was “Founded by Military, for the Military.” It is a great way to give back and to help those fighting for our country.