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Honouring Our Four-Legged Heroes: How Ned’s Wish Supports Retired Police Dogs
Hammer © Courtesy of Ned’s Wish
Honouring Our Four-Legged Heroes: How Ned’s Wish Supports Retired Police Dogs
When human police officers retire, they have a comfortable safety net to ensure well-deserved golden years. But police and military service dogs don’t have this luxury. Ned’s Wish, the only organization of its kind in Canada, offers crucial financial support to these canine heroes after their retirement, ensuring they live out their days with the dignity and care they deserve.
Police and military service dogs are bred and raised for their work, leading lives dictated and driven by their service in keeping our communities safe. Because these dogs are typically raised and trained in work settings for their first year of life and are retired before they become unable to perform, a dog's working career spans approximately six to nine years.
The physical demands of canine police work and the challenges of age can affect the quality of life of retired police service dogs. Medical issues and associated costs can dictate how well, how long, or even if they can enjoy retirement.
Ned’s Wish provides financial support for the medical care of retired service dogs, making retirement and well-deserved care possible for these four-legged heroes. Since its inception, Ned’s Wish has been fully volunteer-run and has registered 223 dogs into its program to date. The organization has paid over $380,000 in canine medical expenses, including an impressive $166,000 in the 2023-2024 fiscal year alone. At any given time, over 100 dogs are actively supported through the program. Thanks to the generous support of donors, Ned's Wish has been able to cover more than $115,000 for our retired heroes in B.C.
MEET OUR HEROES
PSD Hawkes retired from the RCMP after a distinguished career serving the Peace Laird and Okanagan regions. Hawkes loved his work and was always up for a challenge, from tracking suspects in a dangerous road rage incident to leading search and rescue missions, sometimes searching sun up to sun down if he was on a hot track. Ned’s Wish has since helped Hawkes enjoy the best retirement possible.
PSD Hammer was destined for greatness. Trained as both a patrol and explosives detection dog, Hammer spent his entire seven-year career serving in Comox Valley, B.C. Just 21 days into his retirement, Hammer wasn't feeling like his normal self. His family took him to a veterinary hospital in Vancouver, where they quickly diagnosed a twisted spleen, which required emergency surgery to remove his spleen completely. Hammer's medical costs were over $5,700, which Ned's Wish covered through fundraising efforts. Thanks to donors, Hammer is now enjoying his retirement.
PSD Fargo spent his entire career with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, assisting with missing person searches, finding crucial evidence, and capturing criminals. His work earned him a reputation among suspects—many of whom remember him by name! Ned’s Wish has been supporting Fargo since his retirement in 2021, fundraising to cover medical costs over $5,000 and helping him manage his pain in the loving home of his new adopted family.
Just like their namesake, Ned, every retired officer under the care of this organization has served as a frontline K9 officer, selflessly safeguarding the public. It takes a special kind of dog to work tirelessly for our benefit, and yet they ask for nothing more in return than praise and a chew toy. With the help of Ned's Wish, these veterans enjoy a long, healthy retirement in the comfort and dignity they deserve.
Through generous donations from amazing donors like you, Ned’s Wish has provided life-changing support to our retired police and military dogs. Each donation helps one of our four-legged heroes live out their golden years in comfort. They save our lives—now it’s time to return the favour.
Learn more and donate at nedswish.com
