K-9 Tambo's Life-Saving Surgery
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Project K-9 Hero Program Member #203, K-9 Tambo, needed emergency life-saving surgery for a ruptured mass on his spleen. His stomach cavity quickly filled with blood and he was just minutes away from not making it through. His family called Project K-9 Hero, and thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we were able to pay the $6,432.49 emergency surgery bill in full, on the spot.
The surgery saved his life.
Today, K-9 Tambo is recovering at home with his Handler and family as we await biopsy results and his initial oncology appointment. He will likely need ongoing medical assistance, and we will be with him every step of the way.
If you would like to donate to help our organization recover these costs and ensure we’re ready for the next emergency, your gift today will make an immediate difference.
Tambo's life was saved. Let's help him keep living it.
Project K-9 Hero Program Member #203, K-9 Tambo, needed emergency life-saving surgery for a ruptured mass on his spleen. His stomach cavity quickly filled with blood and he was just minutes away from not making it through. His family called Project K-9 Hero, and thanks to the generosity of supporters like you, we were able to pay the $6,432.49 emergency surgery bill in full, on the spot.
The surgery saved his life.
Today, K-9 Tambo is recovering at home with his Handler and family as we await biopsy results and his initial oncology appointment. He will likely need ongoing medical assistance, and we will be with him every step of the way.
If you would like to donate to help our organization recover these costs and ensure we’re ready for the next emergency, your gift today will make an immediate difference.
Tambo's life was saved. Let's help him keep living it.

K-9 Tambo's Bio
K-9 Tambo faithfully served the Department of Defense mission from 2014 until 2022, when he retired due to an injury to his right carpus that caused swelling and impaired his mobility. He provided critical Explosive Detection K-9 expertise in support of National Security. He searched over 10,000 vehicles and completed over 500 calls for service.
K-9 Tambo provided support to the 2017 Inauguration of the President of the United States. Additionally, he provided explosive detection support for state and local Police Departments throughout the greater Washington D.C. area. K-9 Tambo has also secured the public at various sporting events in places like Camden Yards, M&T Bank Stadium, and the Navy/Marine Corps Stadium. We are grateful for his service to our community.



By contributing to our Medical Fund, you help ensure K-9 Tambo and others get the life-saving treatment they need.
Thank you for helping us give Tambo the happy retirement he deserves!
K-9 Benefits for All Program Members

All Medical Costs & Prescription Food Covered
Every K-9 Hero in our program has their medical, prescription food, and end-of-duty services costs covered by us for the rest of their lives. This amounts to an average of $4,000 per year per member, but that's just an average. Many of our dogs have special medical needs brought on by the rigors of their training and service to our country, so their medical costs are far more each month. And we often cover $10,000 medical bills for emergencies like the story you read about above.

Rehabilitation & Rehoming Facility
In addition to the hundreds of dogs in our program who still live with their families and handlers, we also house several Heroes at our Whitwell, TN Rehab and Rehoming Facility. Some of them are there temporarily, some of them will remain with us for life. All of them require the same costly medical care  that our regular Program Members need, but also require specialized staff and trainers to meet the very special needs each one of them has due to their service.

End-of-Duty Services
With great sadness, we realize that every Hero's watch will come to an end. We make sure that each dog in our program has those costs covered, as well, so that their families can focus on themselves and their grief rather than the costs that come with euthanasia and burial services. Although a K-9 Hero's passing is never easy, we do what we can to bring comfort to our Heroes and their families when the time comes.
WE CANNOT DO THIS WITHOUT YOU
Your support is the only way that we can continue our work. You are the reason these K-9 Heroes can retire in comfort, with dignity and medical coverage.
Will you help?
MWD RRoddie Needed Monthly Medical Care
During Rroddie’s eight-year career, he was attached to multiple U.S. Army Special Forces Teams (ODA) while in Afghanistan. Rroddie also served with the Special OperationsTask Force 1 in Iraq. He completed over two dozen USSS (Secret Service) missions, both internationally and domestically, and was responsible for protecting the President of the United States
in Montenegro, Chile, Columbia, the Philippines, Korea, and in countless cities across the USA!
In retirement, MWD Rroddie was diagnosed with Vestibular Syndrome (seizures), and underwent a Splenectomy due to a large mass found on his spleen. The expensive veterinary visits and prescription medications will not be covered by the Government or the U.S. Military. The cost for Rroddie's surgeries and care was thousands of dollars and continued to grow each month. This was an extreme expense that we at PK9H feel shouldn’t have been left solely on his Handler, who was trying to transition from his military career to his new civilian job. Our nonprofit organization provided for this K-9 Hero at 100% for the remainder of his life. RRoddie reached his end of watch November 18th, 2024.


K-9 Mattis Needed $8,000 of Emergency Care
K-9 Mattis is well known across Tik Tok and Instagram for his antics with his handler Mark. His friendly nature makes him a wonderful ambassador to the public, and Mark often takes Mattis out to meet adults and children to talk about how Project K-9 Hero has helped them have more years together. Â
In 2022, Mattis suddenly fell ill. Mark was told he had bloat and that he may not survive the night. Our founder called the veterinarians and told them to do whatever they had to to save Mattis. All the medical burden was removed from Mark's shoulders, and he was able to focus on his best friend. Mattis survived and continues to do his important outreach in the communities talking about how necessary Police K-9s are in keeping our citizens safe.


MWD Rroddie Needs Monthly Medical Care
During Rroddie’s eight-year career, he was attached to multiple U.S. Army Special Forces Teams (ODA) while in Afghanistan. Rroddie also served with the Special OperationsTask Force 1 in Iraq. He completed over two dozen USSS (Secret Service) missions, both internationally and domestically, and was responsible for protecting the President of the United States
in Montenegro, Chile, Columbia, the Philippines, Korea, and in countless cities across the USA!
In retirement, MWD Rroddie has been diagnosed with Vestibular Syndrome (seizures), and underwent a Splenectomy due to a large mass found on his spleen. The expensive veterinary visits and prescription medications will not be covered by the Government or the U.S. Military. So far, the cost for Rroddie's surgeries and care has been thousands of dollars and continues to grow each month. This is an extreme expense that we at PK9H feel shouldn’t be left solely on his handler, who is currently trying to transition from his military career to his new civilian job. Our nonprofit organization has been and will continue to provide for this K-9 Hero at 100% for the remainder of his life.

K-9 Mattis Needed $8,000 of Emergency Care
K-9 Mattis is well known across Tik Tok and Instagram for his antics with his handler Mark. His friendly nature makes him a wonderful ambassador to the public, and Mark often takes Mattis out to meet adults and children to talk about how Project K-9 Hero has helped them have more years together. Â
In 2022, Mattis suddenly fell ill. Mark was told he had bloat and that he may not survive the night. Our founder called the veterinarians and told them to do whatever they had to to save Mattis. All the medical burden was removed from Mark's shoulders, and he was able to focus on his best friend. Mattis survived and continues to do his important outreach in the communities talking about how necessary Police K-9s are in keeping our citizens safe.