Project K-9 Hero on LinkedIn: #jjk9 (2024)

As we at Project K-9 Hero continue to remember our fallen Handlers and Miltary Working Dogs this Memorial Day Weekend, we ask that please take a moment to honor those who have given their life for this great country and for our freedom! This is Staff Sergeant Christopher Diaz, of the United States Marine Corps, Military Police. Chris was a native of El Paso, Texas, and a Military Working Dog handler assigned to II Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group (Forward), Task Force Belleau Wood. Chris died September 28th, 2011 after being wounded while rushing to the aid of a comrade during combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan.I worked with Chris one on one prior to his deployment for three days getting his MWD trained on home-made explosives. I remember him distinctly because he was always smiling and his MWD Dino was trained using clicker method from the time they spent training in Israel. I recall making sure we trained together last and just the two of us off to the side due to his unique training style that was different from my other students. Chris was a highly skilled K-9 Handler and was previously assigned to Marine Recon and Army Special Forces Units for high-threat combat missions. A few years after he had passed, MWD Dino was retired to Chris’s Parents, Sandy and Sal Diaz Jr., in El Paso. When Dino came down with some medical issues we placed him in our PK9H Pack and took care of his medical costs right up til the end. Since then his parents started a nonprofit organization to give back to the community Chris loved so much, called “Project Always Beside You.”Please take a moment to learn more about this great organization at:https://lnkd.in/gBiqHxXBWe remember and honor Chris, just not today but every day. I personally will never forget his sacrifice; Staff Sergeant Christopher Diaz is a Hero! Semper Fi - #JJK9

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What a record setting week in Florida for myself and Project K-9 Hero! Here is just a short list of some of the few accomplishments this week alone.✔️ We gave the Keynote Speech at the National Animal Supplement Council’s Annual Conference. ✔️ Raised over $100,000.00 in Fundraising in just one hour at the #NASC welcome reception.✔️ Developed new corporate partnerships and supporters for our other events like Performers for Paws 🐾 and our upcoming Gala. ✔️ Visited with current strategic partners like Myos Pet Products, #NuPro, #PharmoreIngredients, #GarmonCorp, Uckele Health and Nutrition, and many others.✔️ Established an exclusive 10% give back program for all government contracts with our long term partners at Blackbird Armament that will help fund our Capital Campaign. ✔️ Learned that the PK9H Team achieved a Program Percent Rate of 90% for 2023, with just 5% in Administration costs, and 5% in Fundraising for the tax year of 2023 in pending audit of our draft IRS Form 990.✔️ Took first place in the NASC Golf Tournament!It is amazing how much can be accomplished in just one week when you have your goals and priorities set extremely high yet achieveable. Now it’s time to get home and reset for a few days before we head to D.C. and Baltimore this week to do it all again! Have an amazing Sunday everyone and look for more posts over the next few days honoring our fallen K-9 Heroes during this #MemorialDay! - #JJK9WWW.PROJECTK9HERO.ORG📸 is of K-9 Rosie, who works locally in the Tampa Field Division. She stopped by to say hi to our team this week. She is following in the paw 🐾 steps of PK9H Program Member “Jam,” whom we recently lost to long term medical issues. #NeverForgotten

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As we at the Project K-9 Hero continue to remember our fallen Handlers and K-9's this Memorial Day, we ask that please take a moment to honor those who have given their life for this great country and for our freedom! This picture is of U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant, Christopher Wrinkle, of Dallastown, Pennsylvania. Sgt. Wrinkle was assigned to 2nd Marine Special Operations Battalion, Marine Special Operations Regiment, U.S. Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command, Camp Lejeune, N.C.; died July 31, 2011 in Herat province, Afghanistan, while supporting combat operations.A fellow Marine Sergeant said, that when the fire broke out in their Herat province barracks, Wrinkle called out for his K-9 partner, "TOSCA." His colleague watched as Wrinkle turned back, disappearing into the fire in a search for his partner. It was the last time he was seen alive; both he and Tosca perished in the blaze.His supervisor said that Chris knew exactly what he was doing when he ran back into that burning building, trying to save Tosca. He took a chance on his own life to get her. "Chris died a hero.”Chris and his unit had come up to our office in Front Royal, VA, where I was working for the ATF, prior to this deployment to train. I remember sitting down in the break room and talking to Chris about his love of dogs, how he got into MARSOC, and what his goals were when he was going to get out. He was a well grounded human being and the fact he gave his life to try and save Tosca does not surprise me. Chris was a dedicated Marine and K-9 Handler, he was a Hero and I will never forget his face.Thank you for taking the time to remember our heroes! - #JJK9WWW.PROJECTK9HERO.ORG

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I want to take a moment to specifically thank the National Animal Supplement Council Board of Directors for selecting Project K-9 Hero as their 2024 Annual Conference Charity to give back to. We raised over $100k this week in donations from this amazing organization towards our Capital Campaign. It was a record setting amount for their organization and we could not be more grateful!I would like to take a moment to specifically thank:✔️ NASC Board President, Bill Bookout, for his leadership and commitment to our mission. ✔️ NASC Senior Marketing Manager, Jeni Parker, for her professional assistance and dedication to ensuring everything was logistically set up and went smooth all week.✔️ PK9H Director of Fundraising, Heaven Reinert, for tracking dozens of donations and following up with each and every person to ensure a long term relationship which each generous business owner, supporter, and donor.✔️ PK9H Chief Strategy Officer, Matthew Smith, for leading our fundraising event and doing a fantastic job in ensuring we reached our goal of $100k at this event.✔️ U.S. Air Force SSgt. Joe Pusich and MWD Tobi (T494) for taking the time to come speak at our Keynote Speech with me to share the importance of our mission and how PK9H has spent over $10k in retirement on Tobi alone because of his medical issues.✔️ Retired ATF Special Agent, William Booth, for being our local liaison for the week and participating in the 9th Annual NASC Golf Tournament with me to help us bring home the 1st Place Trophy. ✔️ The dozens of NASC members and other Board Members who attended, learned more about our mission, and donated to our cause. Without all of you, we could not “Protect Those Who Protect Us!” Thank you so much from our Pack to Yours! - #JJK9WWW.PROJECTK9HERO.ORG

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So proud to share my passion tonight on this platform!https://lnkd.in/eKBvehyz

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PK9H #283 “K-9 Dexter”

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The 2024 National Animal Supplement Council 9th Annual Golf Tournament benefited Project K-9 Hero this week at Innisbrook Resort in Palm Harbor, Florida. Not only were retired canine handler, William Booth, and myself, honored to be recognized as special guests before the tournament by the President of the #NASC, our team took “First Place,” allowing us to both dedicate our achievement to PK9H Member #001, K-9 Flash (my partner) and PK9H Member #241, K-9 Martina (Bill’s partner). Both of these late Heroes were friends for life. We will Never let them be Forgotten, as this victory is for them! - #JJK9

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It is with extremely heavy heart that we share the loss of Project K-9 Hero Program Member #261, K-9 Rush, from medical complications surrounding hemangiosarcoma. Rush lived to be 17 years old, and was the senior Hero in our Pack! Our thoughts go out to his Handler and long-time PK9H Advocate, Debbie Triplett, on this devastating loss of her partner.K-9 Rush served as a “Live Find” Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) K-9 with the FEMA Federal Emergency Management Agency, assigned to Ohio Task Force 1. Rush stayed active as a USAR K-9 for an amazing 15 years of service, recently retiring in October of 2023 at 16 years of age!During his long and distinguished career, Rush deployed to multiple incidents all over the United States. Including numerous hurricane responses, tornadoes, and wilderness searches. He was been a valuable resource for county, state, and federal agencies nationally. Some of Rush’s notable missions include: Hurricane Irene in 2011 which impacted Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey; He also responded to Tornadoes that affected Mississippi, Tennessee, and Georgia; Hurricane Matthew in North Carolina in 2016; Hurricane Michael in Florida In 2018, Hurricanes Laura and Delta in 2020 in Louisiana; and at the age of 15 he deployed to Hurricane Ian in Florida (2022) looking for survivors in the aftermath. Please take a moment today to remember K-9 Rush for his exemplary service to our communities and the United States of America 🇺🇸. - #JJK9WWW.PROJECTK9HERO.ORG

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Thank you National Animal Supplement Council for having Project K-9 Hero as the Keynote Speaker for your 2024 Annual Conference. MWD Tobi was definitely the star of the hour! We appreciate all of the support from the #NASC Community. - #JJK9WWW.PROJECTK9HERO.ORG

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