MK9S Service Dogs

Mission: To provide highly trained service dogs to maximize the independence and quality of life of veterans with physical and / or mental health disabilities at no cost to the veterans.

MK9s Service Dogs is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization with a team of dedicated volunteers proud to offer professional training of service dogs for military veterans suffering from mental and/or physical disabilities. We bring more than 23 years of experience training service dogs for individuals with disabilities. A majority of our volunteer canine mentors and support staff come with either strong military backgrounds or many years of experience in the service dog raising and training environment. Several of our volunteers and canine mentors live in Loudoun County. All service dogs are trained pro bono and are provided free-of-charge to qualified and deserving veterans.

While volunteers raise and train our Service Dogs in Training (SDiT) under the guidance of professional trainers who volunteer their time as well, we do need financial assistance to cover puppy acquisition, medical care, and supplies.

The Need – With an estimated 20 veteran suicides a day, there is a strong need to provide alternative treatments for veterans with physical and mental health challenges. However, the number of trained service dogs is limited due to the costs typically exceeding $28,000 per dog.

The MK9s Service Dog Solution – MK9s seeks to provide highly trained service dogs tailored to meet specific veteran needs at no cost to the qualified and deserving veteran. Costs are kept to a minimum by a dedicated all volunteer force who raise and train the puppies for free. Costs are therefore limited to purchasing the puppies, feeding and veterinary care during the training period.

MK9s Service Dog’s Unique Approach – MK9s Service Dogs maximizes the veteran’s experience capitalizing on the 18 months the puppies are in training to build a strong veteran – service dog team. By identifying the veteran first and getting the right dog for them, the veteran participates in the puppy’s training experience providing them immediate hope of a better future and plenty of critical bonding time. Puppies are found to match the specific temperament and likely physical capabilities needed to provide the support the veteran needs. With the veteran identified, training for the puppy can be tailored to emphasize those skills their veteran will need. MK9s Service Dogs purposefully adopted this approach to overcome the challenges of programs which train the service dogs then try to find the right veteran thereby forgoing 18 months of critical emotional support for the veterans and only offering limited veteran – service dog team training.