7 K9 heroes receive medals for bravery and service in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON D.C. (WPHL)– 7 retired K9 heroes and their handlers from across the nation, were awarded with medals of bravery and distinguished service in Washington D.C. on Tuesday.

The fifth annual Animals in War & Peace Medal Ceremony was held on March 11 at the Rayburn House Office Building in Washington, D.C.

7 heroes, some receiving the award posthumously, were awarded with their respective medals of bravery and distinguished service for their “significant contributions while serving our country in times of war and peace”.

Members of Congress, as well as K9 handlers, family and friends all gathered to hear “heartwarming stories of bravery and dedication” and see their K9s rewarded for their actions.

The Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery was awarded to four animals, representing the U.S. military services, first responders, and working animals. They were honored and recognized
for their courage and sacrifice.

The Animals in War & Peace Distinguished Service Medal was awarded to three K9s for their “exceptionally meritorious service to the United States in high responsibility duties.”

Medal of Bravery recipients:

• SOF K9 Conan: US Army, Special Operations Command. SOF Conan participated in over 50 combat missions during his service, and is best known for the Barisha Raid in Syria which led to the death of Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the then-leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, ISIS) terror organization.
• CAD Spido: US Army, Special Operations Command, Delta Force, Combat Assault Dog. CAD Spido had numerous deployments overseas and saved the lives of his teammates on numerous occasions.
• MPC Luca X496: 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne) MPC Detachment, Afghanistan (2015-2020); Desoto County Sheriff’s Department, Hernando, MS (2020-2024). MPC Luca X496 was deployed in support of the Resolute Support Mission in Afghanistan, and participated in over 50 combat missions and found 15 IEDs. With Desoto Sheriff’s Dept., Luca was deployed hundreds of times and assisted SWAT and other local, state, and federal agencies.
• MWD Mminto V527: US Army, 95th Military Police Detachment, Joint Base Lewis-McChord, WA (JBLM) (2014-2019). MWD Mminto V527 conducted over 20 U.S. Secret Service missions, 30 VIP sweeps, 3,456 hours of law enforcement to JBLM, and two deployments to Soto Cano Air Base and the Middle East.

Distinguished Service Medal recipients:

• Mr. Warner: Springfield, MA Police Department (2014-2021). Mr. Warner assisted in hundreds of arrests in his 8-year career, including but not limited to over 30 firearms cases, narcotics cases, armed robberies, and assisted multiple law enforcement agencies, including the MA State Police. He is the most decorated K9 in the history of his department, and has received multiple local and national awards throughout his career.
• K9 Agir: Vineland, NJ Police (2014-2023). K9 Air had two key incidents where he saved lives. First, he stopped an individual under a toxic level of PCP who grabbed his handler’s gun during an altercation. Agir also helped officers apprehend a person who charged and stabbed a police officer in the face.

If you know of any K9s or other animals who should be honored for their service, you can nominate them HERE.