A memorial service with full military honors will be held Saturday at Jacksonville Pet Memorial Park for a retired Navy K9.
Dingo was a bomb-sniffing dog assigned to Naval Station Mayport. The service starts at 11 a.m. and is open to the public.
The 14-and-a-half-year-old Belgian Malinois served two tours of duty in Iraq and one in Africa, as well as participating in dozens of presidential security sweeps.
Pet Memorial Park owner Jimmy Hughey says it’s important to him to honor Dingo’s heroism.
“These animals never get recognized for their service that they provide,” he said.” And that was my goal, you know, with designing these monuments is so that there is a place for these animals to be memorialized and recognized for what they do.”
Hughey said Dingo will be honored with a 21 gun salute, the presentation of an American flag to the dog’s handler, and the playing of "Amazing Grace" by the Jacksonville Fire Rescue Scottish bagpipe team.
His name will also be added to the military K9 monument that stands in a pet memorial park at 4969 Beach Boulevard.
Contact reporter Cyd Hoskinson at choskinson@wjct.org, 904-358-6351 and on Twitter @cydwjctnews.
