TOWSON, Md. — During the holiday season, dozens of boxes line the floor at the US War Dogs office. Each one carefully packed, labeled, and destined for military working dog handlers and their dogs serving overseas.
WATCH: The military dogs who served and the veterans making sure they’re never forgotten
US War Dogs, a nonprofit founded 25 years ago by Vietnam War dog handlers, sends about 300 care packages each year, with its largest push happening during the holidays. The packages are shipped to handlers and dogs across four continents, providing not only practical gear but a reminder that they are not forgotten.
Inside each box are items requested directly by handlers: leashes, long lines, dog rewards, gloves sized for each handler, headlamps, multi-tools, and small comforts from home… including hot sauce.
“Sometimes you don’t have the best food overseas and it just makes everything a little better,” said Chris, president of US War Dogs and a Marine veteran who served with a military working dog.
Chris and Chuck Rodenberry, vice president of US War Dogs, are both veterans who served as military working dog handlers. They say that shared experience is what drives the organization’s mission.
“When I adopted my dog out, I’m gonna do anything for that dog because that dog I served with it and there’s this bond,” Chris said. “There’s a synergy between a dog and a handler that people just won’t understand.”
While the holiday packages are highly visible, US War Dogs’ mission extends far beyond what fits inside a box.
Military working dogs often retire with injuries or chronic health conditions related to their service. Once retired, the financial responsibility for medical care falls entirely on the handler and those costs can be overwhelming.
“Sometimes it could put handlers in financial difficult situations,” Chris said. “You gotta drop $7,000 overnight for a surgery and we’ll take care of that bill for you.”
This year alone, US War Dogs expects to cover about $200,000 in emergency surgeries and specialized veterinary care, helping handlers avoid financial stress while ensuring their dogs receive the treatment they need.
“That’s just additional stress that veterans don’t need,” Chris said. “If we can alleviate that financial burden, you take that dog and give them the retirement they deserve.”
For Chuck Rodenberry, who deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as a Marine handler, the care packages carry deep personal meaning.
“To get a box with your name on it means a lot,” Rodenberry said. “It doesn’t matter what’s in it. Just knowing people back home are thinking about you… that changes everything.”
Rodenberry said even small items can make a major difference for handlers operating far from home.
“It could be dog treats or toothpaste, it didn’t matter,” he said. “Just something to take your mind off what’s right in front of you.”
They both help pack those same boxes, often alongside family members.
“My kids come in, my wife, it’s a whole process,” Chris said. “We’ll tell them, ‘You’re packing care packages going to Africa… to the Middle East.’ It gives them a sense of where they’re going and who they’re helping.”
US War Dogs operates as a 100 percent donation-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit. The organization does not accept donated items for care packages, instead relying on funding to source high-quality, handler-approved gear and to pay for prescription medications and emergency veterinary care.
“We don’t have public funds,” Rodenberry said. “This doesn’t fund itself, so we rely on donations to keep helping the dogs and the handlers.”
Supporters can donate, sign up for the organization’s newsletter, or become a monthly “Guardian” through the US War Dogs website.
“Everything we post is about the dogs we’re supporting and the service we’re providing,” Chris said. “We’re trying to build a community around military working dogs.”