The men and women who serve our country are confronted with an array of challenges, particularly when stationed far away from home; but one Clinton resident is working to ensure that finding care and temporary residence for their canine companions is not amongst them.
Ron Kerrigan is a veteran and Whidbey Animals’ Improvement Foundation volunteer who is currently boarding two Dogs on Deployment K-9s, Joe and Reece, for a sailor named Cory who relocated from Virginia to Everett and whose military duties have required him to be at sea for extended periods of time.
Kerrigan, who has rescued six dogs of his own, met Cory, Reece and Joe at Marguerite Brons off-leash dog park to ensure the two packs would meld satisfactorily. Although Joe and Reece are younger than the rest of Kerrigan’s dogs, and a tad more energetic, they seemed to make fast friends with their six new housemates and have stayed with Kerrigan on and off since April.
“I love dogs, and it is good to feel I’m doing something meaningful,” said Kerrigan. “Putting a ‘support our troops’ bumper sticker on your car is all well and good, but this is something that I think is more helpful.”
Kerrigan took in his first military dog, whom he still cares for, in 2011 when he was volunteering with Whidbey’s Old Dog Haven. The soldier, who was scheduled to leave for Afghanistan, contacted the shelter seeking care for his 12-year-old dog. Kerrigan offered to help, and simultaneously began searching for organizations to assist in such circumstances. Eventually, Kerrigan came across Dogs on Deployment.
U.S. Marine Corps 1st Lt. Alisa Johnson and her husband, U.S. Navy Lt. Shawn Johnson, stationed in San Diego, Calif., decided to create a non-profit online network, Dogs on Deployment, in 2013 after struggling to find long-term boarding for their own furry companion, JD. Alisa Johnson was given orders to relocate to Quantico, Virginia to attend The Basic School for Marines and her husband was set to embark on his second deployment abroad. The couple had adopted JD — whom Alisa Johnson refers to as her “soul puppy” — at eight weeks old at the end of a two-year physical separation for the couple due to their respective military commitments. While the Johnsons were fortunate enough to find family members in Virginia willing to watch JD, they realized their situation was not unique and decided to develop Dogs on Deployment in order to assist others.
“I have countless memories of receiving a phone call, reading a news piece or opening an email including a personal message from someone that was helped through our network … and I just burst into happy tears,” Alisa Johnson wrote in an email to The Record. “I’m a Marine and our number one mission is ‘mission accomplishment,’ but our number two mission is ‘troop welfare,’ and I fully believe that Dogs on Deployment is improving the lives of military members everywhere through the support of our volunteers and donors. My joy is getting a request from a family that is facing extreme financial struggle and their pet’s welfare is questionable, and being able to say, ‘Don’t worry. We’ve got it.’ ”
To date, Dogs on Deployment has found temporary residence for over 500 dogs and has granted over $20,000 to military pet owners. Owners are responsible for paying for the pet’s food and any potential veterinary visits while the dog is in the host’s care, but otherwise no money is exchanged. When possible, military personnel are able to visit their pets at the host’s home during breaks.
“Having JD with me while my husband was deployed, and we were separated for another three years, kept me sane and comforted,” wrote Alisa Johnson in an email. “I soon adopted our second dog, Jersey. …You cannot possibly be sad with the two of their fluffy wiggling butts around.”
Joe and Reece will return to their owner’s care in August, but Kerrigan has already contacted another soldier whose dog he has offered to board when the time comes.
Learn more about the organization at DogsonDeployment.org.
