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Tenth Annual K9 Veterans Day March 10, 2024

Please plan to join us for Wisconsin’s 10th Annual K9 Veterans Day ceremony at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 10, at the American Legion Banquet Center in Fort Atkinson!  Public welcome.

If you love working K9s and want to honor them and their handlers, we encourage you to join us for this special event!

Click the following link for the Invitation 2024-1

PROGRAM

Our featured speaker will be Jerry Witt, U.S. Army Sergeant and Scout Dog Handler. Witt served in the jungles of Vietnam, leading patrols with his scout dog, ahead of the main body of troops.

The recipient of the inaugural Terry Beck Protective Services scholarship will also be recognized as he pursues a career in fire protection.

Also honored will be fallen K9s from the past year and retiring working K9s.  All K9 handlers—active and retired—in attendance will be recognized. All K9s in attendance will also receive a special treat.

WREATH-LAYING CEREMONY

Prior to the event at the American Legion location, there will be a wreath-laying ceremony at the K9 Veterans Memorial in Fort Atkinson’s McCoy Park at 12:30 p.m.  Immediately following that, participants will gather at the American Legion.

McCoy Park is located at 1100 Old Madison Road (across from Salamone’s Italian Pizzeria, 1245 Madison Avenue) and the American Legion Banquet Center is located at 201 S. Water Street East, both in Fort Atkinson, WI.

Visit our K9 Veterans Day page.

FortAtkinsonOnline.com feature story:

Fort Atkinson Police Department to observe K-9 Veterans Day

 

New Titles Honored

Heather - OpalMany KCFA members compete in a variety of dog sports, and several dog-handler teams earned new titles during 2018.  These teams were honored at the recent KCFA Annual Meeting held at Sammy’s Place restaurant.  Titles earned range from Canine Good Citizen to Trick Dog to Rally, Agility and Hunter titles.

Visit our Join the Fun page to see photos.  Click on a thumbnail photo to enlarge it, and use the browser’s “back” button to close the photo and return to the page.

Congratulations to all our new title holders!

Service Dog Tales

Come join us on Saturday, July 28, at 1:00 p.m.,
to meet working service Cadence pushing door buttondogs and their handlers, and to listen to their stories of teamwork and transformation.  Learn about the functions of service dogs, how they’re trained, and laws that apply to them.  The presentation will be held in the Community Room of Dwight Foster Public Libary, 209 Merchants Ave, Fort Atkinson.  Admission is free and the public is invited.

Amber Marzahl, a member of the Kennel Club of Fort Atkinson,  will anchor the presentation with her service dog, Cadence.  Gulf War veteran Warren Demmin and his PTSD service dog, Loki, will add their own remarkable story to the presentation, and Katie McDonald, with her service dog, Zyko, will talk about what it takes to train a service dog and what functions they might perform.

Topics will include:  What is a service dog?  Who can benefit from a service dog?  What public access rights do service dogs have?  What are a business owner’s rights with regard to them?

The growing problem with “fake” service dogs will be discussed.  These are dogs that don’t perform services other than providing companionship, but are purported by their handlers to be service dogs in order to gain access to housing or public venues where dogs aren’t usually permitted.

Time will be allowed for questions from the audience, as well.

Here’s a poster you can print and post to help us spread the word about this event:    Service_Dog_Event_Flyer