DOGNY
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DOGNY – America’s Tribute to Search and Rescue Dogs is a public art initiative commissioned by the American Kennel Club to honor the search and rescue dogs involved in post-September 11th operations and to raise money to support future endeavors.
After the attacks on the World Trade Center, The Pentagon and Shanksville, PA, teams of handlers and dogs rushed in to assist in locating survivors. The AKC wanted to acknowledge these dogs with a public show of appreciation and a national effort to support their future missions. For this reason, AKC President and CEO Dennis B. Sprung created DOGNY.
On the first anniversary of September 11, AKC and its affiliates, companies in the pet products industry, and many other organizations worked together to display over 100 uniquely painted sculptures of a Search and Rescue Dog throughout the five boroughs of New York City. With names like “Let Freedom Ring”, “Stars and Stripes”, and “Bone-A-Fido Patriot,” the sculptures adorned fire stations, police precincts, and office buildings alongside landmarks such as Rockefeller Center, Trump Plaza, and Broadway’s Shubert Alley.
In Thanksgiving of 2002, the DOGNY sculptures were brought to Sotheby’s for a charity auction. One hundred percent of funds raised by AKC for DOGNY (including donations, sponsorships, and auction sales) have been allocated in the 501(c)(3) AKC CAR Canine Support and Relief Fund for volunteer and professional canine search and rescue organizations throughout the country. To date, AKC has raised over $3 million for this cause.
The American Kennel Club continues to keep Canine Search and Rescue in the public eye with DOGNY events throughout the year. Two years ago, AKC instituted the DOGNY Heroic Military Working Dog Award, presented annually to a military search dog and handler who have distinguished themselves in active duty. A certificate and medal of honor are presented to a new team every year in a ceremony aboard the USS Intrepid, one of the most successful battleships in United States history.
AKC is committed to educating the public about the vital work American Canine Search and Rescue organizations perform all around the world.
