Memorial Park in Colorado Springs will play host to war dog tribute.
As far back as the year 600 BC, dogs have been used in service on the battlefield. Alongside their human battle buddies, war dogs have served valiantly by performing guard duty, hunting down enemies, alerting troops of ambushes, delivering messages, and detecting explosives, as well as providing a much-needed morale boost and a sense of comfort among troops.
Thousands of American lives (and limbs) have been saved thanks to these four-legged heroes. Wade and Ruby Ridpath founded the War Dog Memorial Colorado in order to pay homage to contract and military working dogs and to showcase how these dogs serve our country. As adopters of retired military and contract working dogs, they know that these animals deserve recognition for their hard work.
To bring this vision to life, the Ridpaths have enlisted Arizona-based fireman and sculptor Austin Weishel to construct the memorial which will depict a Labrador retriever and German shepherd, both of which are the two breeds most used for military and contract service. There will also be a brick path around the memorial and personalized Honor Bricks are currently available for purchase.
Currently, the Ridpaths are $40,000 short of their fundraising goal of $200,000.
If there's one thing will always be true, it's that dogs are a gift to humans, especially to those who are risking their lives to protect the freedoms we hold dear.
