Retirement Without a Safety Net: Congress Takes Up the K-9 Hero Act of 2026

For the thousands of dogs who serve in federal law enforcement and the military, the last day on the job looks very different. There's no pension and no health plan. The moment a working dog retires, the government's responsibility for its care ends — and whoever takes the leash takes on every vet bill that follows.

As an insurance agency, we spend our days thinking about what happens when the unexpected arrives and there's no coverage in place. It's hard to imagine a clearer example than this one. A new bill in Congress is trying to close that gap, and we think it deserves a wider audience.

What is the K-9 Hero Act of 2026?

H.R. 9664, the K-9 Hero Act of 2026, was introduced in the House of Representatives on July 14, 2026 by Congressman Derrick Van Orden. In plain terms, it would create the first federal funding stream dedicated to the medical care of retired federal working dogs.

Rather than paying families directly, the bill would fund an annual grant program — $5 million per year, with qualifying nonprofits eligible for up to $1 million each — routed through organizations that specialize in caring for retired working dogs. And the benefit follows the dog, not the paperwork: care is credited for the dog's service, regardless of who owns it in retirement.

How big is the need?

Bigger than most people would guess. The Government Accountability Office counted roughly 5,100 working dogs across 40 federal programs in a 2022 review — dogs serving with the Department of Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, and every branch of the military.

Routine care alone for a retired military working dog was estimated at $1,182 a year back in 2017, and that figure predates both today's veterinary prices and the specialty care many of these dogs need for conditions developed on the job. Nonprofits have stepped in to help, but demand far outruns supply — Project K-9 Hero, the organization that helped write the bill, reports more than 1,000 applications waiting for assistance.

Who ends up carrying the cost in the meantime? Overwhelmingly, the veterans, first responders, and ordinary families who adopt these dogs when their service ends.

Where does the bill stand?

It has been introduced — which is the first step, not the last. The bill now needs to work its way through committee and both chambers of Congress before it can reach the President's desk.

"It is truly an honor for me to be involved in changing the way our retired Police K-9s and Military Working Dogs are treated in retirement for generations to come," said Jason Johnson, Founder and CEO of Project K-9 Hero, of the bill's introduction.

Three minutes that could help

If this strikes a chord with you, the good news is that supporting a bill like this costs nothing but a few minutes:

1. Look up H.R. 9664 on congress.gov to see its current status and whether your representative has signed on.
2. Send your member of Congress a short note — even two sentences saying you support the K-9 Hero Act of 2026 gets counted.
3. Tell one other person. Most Americans have no idea these dogs retire without any safety net at all.

Every one of these dogs finished their career having held up their end of the deal. The K-9 Hero Act of 2026 asks the country to hold up ours.