Dogs have served in nearly every major war throughout history. Yet, in the U.S., their service and sacrifice had gone largely unrecognized. And even though K9 Veterans Day has an established date of March 13, this holiday was still new and had virtually no awareness. So DreamBone – a rawhide alternative brand committed to providing a happier and healthier life for all dogs – made it their mission to finally give our K9 heroes the honor they deserve.

Making the most of this effort, DreamBone also wanted to support Project K-9 Hero, a charity whose mission is to provide a better life for retired K9 veterans by assisting with the costs of medical treatment, food and end of duty services.

To create momentum for K9 Veterans Day and drive donations to Project K-9 Hero, our research led us to a remarkable discovery. Although the common misconception is that dogs see in black and white, multiple studies show they actually see the world in shades of blue and yellow. Knowing this, we reimagined the American flag as our K9 heroes have always seen it – in yellow, white, and blue. Offering a new and striking interpretation of a national symbol many Americans hold dear.

To create a significant push for K9 Veterans Day, we needed to appeal to two key targets: the more than 70 million dog owners in the U.S., and military veterans who know the contributions of K9s firsthand. But with a limited budget, we chose to focus our boots-on-the-ground efforts in the greater Kansas City area, home to the National WWI Museum and Memorial, and relied on news coverage and our custom Facebook profile frame to carry our message and momentum nationwide.

After discovering dogs see the American flag’s red stripes as Pantone 7759 yellow, we used that exact color to develop the K9 veterans flag. We ceremoniously introduced the symbol with a handmade 8’ x 12’ nylon flag at the National World War I Museum and Memorial, as well as limited edition 3’ x 5’ commemorative flags to be given with donations to Project K-9 Hero. We also reproduced the K9 veterans flag as 8” x 12” handheld flags and dog bandanas.

And to ensure the effort reached far and wide, we designed a custom Facebook profile frame featuring the K9 colors. And for one proud day, we invited the social community to fly this new symbol and show their support. All to raise awareness of this special holiday and drive donations to Project K-9 Hero.

In just a matter of days, and with little budget, we generated an outpouring of support. Reaching over 147.7 million people and collecting thousands in donations for Project K-9 Hero. DreamBone not only improved the lives of K9 veterans all over the country, but created the first enduring symbol of K9 sacrifice and service of past and present. Giving our four-legged service members the honor they deserve and making March 13, 2019, the most celebrated K9 Veterans Day ever.