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A planned national monument honoring animals that have served the United States is moving closer to reality, with organizers launching a fundraising campaign in Arlington as they finalize the tribute’s design and location in the Washington, D.C., area.
The National Service Animals Monument will recognize the bond between human handlers and animals that have supported the U.S. armed services throughout the nation’s history. Its scope will extend from George Washington’s horses to modern dolphins used on patrol missions.
The memorial will also honor animals working at home, including those that assist veterans living with PTSD and other challenges.
Congress approved the monument with bipartisan support in 2022. Organizers expect it to be completed, dedicated and open to visitors within five years of the campaign launch.
World-renowned sculptor Susan Bahary has spent years advancing the project with the nonprofit National Service Animals Monument team. She said its central themes will be service, sacrifice, courage and duty.
Bahary said the memorial will recognize both service animals and their handlers while showing how their work helped shape American history.
Arlington Event Launches Fundraising Drive
The organization formally invited the public to support the project during the inaugural Bonds of Service event at the Military Women’s Memorial in Arlington. The gathering, sponsored by the U.S. War Dogs Association, began the monument’s capital campaign and raised awareness of the effort.
Timed to coincide with National K9 Veterans Day on March 13, the event placed particular attention on service dogs. More than 30 K9 teams attended, bringing together dogs and handlers who have served with the U.S. military.
The program began with a wreath-laying ceremony at The Pledge, a life-sized bronze sculpture of a female service member and her dog. Nineteen participants honored the K9s with whom they had served. A reception and a performance by the Quantico Marine Quintet followed a series of speakers.
Bahary created The Pledge after receiving the commission in 2020. She said holding the event beside the sculpture reflected the planned monument’s goal of bringing people together.
All proceeds from ticket sales will help fund construction of the national memorial.
Chris Willingham, a 20-year Marine Corps veteran and president of the U.S. War Dogs Association, said the event was designed to unite supporters and service-animal organizations around the monument’s vision.
Willingham served with Lucca, a military dog that detected explosives during hundreds of Marine Corps missions in the Middle East. He said national recognition is overdue for animals whose work protects people both overseas and at home.
The U.S. War Dogs Association supports military dogs and their handlers from active service through retirement.
A Tribute Built Around Honor and Education
Bahary’s involvement with military working animals stretches back decades. In 1994, she created Always Faithful, the country’s first war dog monument, now located at the National War Dog Cemetery at U.S. Naval Base Guam.
She said that project revealed the bravery of war dog teams and the depth of the relationships between the animals and their handlers. It also drew her attention to service animals whose contributions are not rewarded with pensions, promotions or Purple Hearts.
Organizers envision the new monument as both a national tribute and an educational destination where visitors can learn about animal service and sacrifice rarely covered in textbooks.
Willingham said he hopes it becomes a place where people can spend time with loved ones, including their own animals, while gaining a deeper appreciation for the thousands of animals that have served the country.
The monument’s precise site, artistic design and final concept remain under development. Organizers are asking supporters nationwide to contribute money, time, skills or help spreading awareness as the campaign moves forward.