In March 2008, three Vietnam veterans gathered with family members to present an appreciation/recognition barbecue to the Military Working Dog (MWD) Handlers of Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton's Provost Marshall's Kennels. The seed was planted - the Dawgs Project was born. "They're not coming home the way we did," became the mantra of the trio who proceeded to schedule 14 similar "thank you" barbecues into the 2009 Calendar: Marines, soldiers, airmen, sailors of the military K9 community.

More than 140 barbecues later, and supported by numerous American Legion posts and Auxiliary units in California and Texas, the Dawgs Project prepares to publish its 2015 FEED THE DAWGS EVENTS calendar - www.thedawgsproject.com - and completing six years of the project with the final 2014 feed event at Creech Air Force Base/Combat Training Range in November. The project provides a medium for recently retired/discharged K9 personnel to stay in touch with their brothers in arms.

Nearly 8,000 pounds of steak, a similar amount of macaroni and/or potato salad, baked beans, corn on the cob, baked potatoes, and thousands of gallons of soda and water have been presented to our active duty MWD community (including children) at over 30 military bases, camps, forts, and ports located across the country. Two new affiliates were born of the 2013 calendar; Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project and Northwest Dawgs Project.

The Dawgs Project Mission also includes the Dawgs Of War Memorial Monument and Heritage Exhibit at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, near Oceanside, Calif. And, the project maintains Operation Distraction- "goodie paks" (care packages) for "high mobility" MWD Teams deployed globally on the War On Terror.

The group is preparing a significant weekend in March - the 2015 War Dawg Weekend at Camp Pendleton.