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7 LONG TITLE
8 Committee Note:
9 The Veterans and Military Affairs Commission recommended this bill.
10 Membership: 5 legislators 18 non-legislators
11 Legislative Vote: 4 voting for 0 voting against 1 absent
12 General Description:
13 This joint resolution designates March 13 as "K9 Veterans Day."
14 Highlighted Provisions:
15 This resolution:
16 ▸ recognizes that the United States War Dog Program was established to utilize the
17 unique skills of dogs;
18 ▸ recognizes and describes military working dogs' service to the United States Armed
19 Forces; and
20 ▸ calls for the designation of "K9 Veterans Day" to commemorate the lives of military
21 working dogs that serve.
22 Special Clauses:
23 None
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25 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
26 WHEREAS, during World War I, the United States employed sled dogs at military
27 stations in Alaska where they were employed when snow and ice precluded horses, mules, and
28 motorized transportation;
29 WHEREAS, because of the success of military working dogs in World War I, in
30 January 1942, a private establishment called Dogs for Defense recruited dogs from the public
31 for the United States military's War Dog Program;
32 WHEREAS, during Dogs for Defense's three years of operation, Dogs for Defense
33 procured approximately 20,000 dogs that were trained for messenger, mine-detection, sentry,
34 sled, and scout duties;
35 WHEREAS, more than 10,000 dogs from the Dogs for Defense procurement process
36 finished training for some form of war work;
37 WHEREAS, in 1944, nearly 2,000 trained military working dogs were shipped overseas
38 and approxiamtely 8,500 were stationed in United States military stations;
39 WHEREAS, by the end of World War II, 1,600 military working dogs were trained to
40 scout and deployed overseas;
41 WHEREAS, the United States Armed Forces employed around 1,500 military workings
42 dogs during the Korean War, 4,000 military working dogs during the Vietnam War, and 500
43 military working dog teams in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts;
44 WHEREAS, the presence of military working dogs lessens the danger of military
45 ambush;
46 WHEREAS, the presence of military working dogs saves and protects service members'
47 lives;
48 WHEREAS, military working dogs selflessly serve and should be commemorated for
49 their service;
50 WHEREAS, March 13, 1942, is the official birthday of the United States War Dog
51 Program:
52 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah,
53 designates March 13 of each year as "K9 Veterans Day."