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Retirement: A Dog’s Life

CHAMP, a Halo Lights LLC technology, protects dogs by detecting early warning signs of heat threats. Courtesy photo from Halo Lights LLC

Halo Lights LLC CEO Jason Johnson left his government role in 2017 with the purpose of giving back to the canine community he spent more than 30 years training.

“I found that we worked [the canines] up to the point where they can no longer work,” he said. Though most canines remain with their handlers upon retirement, financial support is no longer part of the equation, Johnson explained. In many cases, retired dogs require serious medical procedures, costing thousands of dollars.

Handler tests Halo Lights technology to ensure it effectively monitors canine health. Courtesy photo from Halo Lights LLC

“First responders, military workers, police officers, they don’t have that kind of money,” he went on.

For that reason, Johnson founded Project K-9 Hero, a nonprofit organization that serves its mission of protecting “those who protected our families, communities and our America.”

“We have almost 700 pending applications for services right now, and we choose one a week,” Johnson stated, as he pulled up the Project K-9 Hero 2022 report, displaying the many faces of retired dogs who are in rehabilitation. “That’s my hardest job in the world is to choose which one gets its health care taken care of for life.”

Upon acceptance, K-9 Hero takes the canine completely under its wing and financially covers every medical expense for the rest of its life. Until Johnson and his team of canine professionals find the most suitable owner, the dogs stay at a rehabilitation center.

“We’re building a larger facility,” he stated. People can learn more about the facility by visiting Project K-9 Hero social media channels.