,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #dgcc  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #bd1
 #bjbj,mr4 ,blumenthal introduced the   
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,energy  
and ,natural ,resources  ,a ,,bill  ,to 
designate the ,national ,service        
,animals ,monument to recognize the     
heroic deeds and sacrifices of service  
animals and handlers of service animals 
in the ,united ,states1 and for other   
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,national ,service  
,animals ,monument ,act4  #b4 ,findings 
,congress finds that-- 7#a7 service     
animals1 such as dogs1 horses1 mules1   
homing pigeons1 and other animals1 have 
accompanied and supported service       
members throughout history2  7#b7       
service animals have worked alongside   
law enforcement personnel and first     
responders in performing vital1 heroic1 
and often life-saving support           
activities1  7#c7 shelter dogs are often

 trained as service animals2  7#d7 many 
veterans and individuals with           
disabilities rely on the devotion1      
training1 and care provided by          
companion1 guide1 assistance1 and       
therapy animals1 which are increasingly 
important to improving the quality of   
life of the veterans and individuals    
with disabilities that rely on the      
animals2  7#e7 the ,department of the   
,navy-- 7,a7 uses sea lions1 which have 
excellent eyesight-- 7i7 to find and    
retrieve unarmed test ordinance         
7including practice mines72 and  7ii7 to
 secure port complexes2 and  7,b7 uses  
dolphins-- 7i7 to find and retrieve     
equipment lost at sea2  7ii7 to identify
 intruders in restricted areas2 and     
7iii7 to detect underwater mines2  7#f7 
rescue dogs and handlers have been used 
in many critical disaster settings1     
including-- 7,a7 in the aftermath of    
avalanches or other natural disasters2  
and  7,b7 during search and rescue      
missions1 such as the search and rescue 

missions after the #i_/aa terrorist     
attacks2  7#g7 during ,world ,war ,i and
 ,world ,war ,,ii-- 7,a7 homing pigeons 
served as critical messengers with tiny 
message capsules attached to the legs of
 the pigeons that were used to send     
communications to save the lives of     
countless soldiers1 resulting in many   
pigeons becoming the target of enemy    
fire2 and  7,b7 donkeys and mules       
transported food1 supplies1 ammunition1 
and wounded soldiers during terrible    
hardships2  7#h7 the military working   
dog program in the ,united ,states--    
7,a7 began in ,world ,war ,,ii with the 
program known as ,dogs for ,defense2 and
  7,b7 continues to be an active program
 in the military2  7#i7 military working
 dogs-- 7,a7 have saved tens of         
thousands of lives through the service  
and sacrifice of the dogs2 and  7,b7 are
 one of the greatest assets of the      
military2  7#aj7 service members have   
served on horseback from the            
,revolutionary ,war to the war in       

,afghanistan2  7#aa7 horses have carried
 wounded service members and critical   
supplies in support of various military 
operations2  7#ab7 the purple poppy is  
the international symbol for the service
 and sacrifice of service animals2      
7#ac7 on ,february #bd of each year1    
,national ,service ,animals ,day is     
celebrated in the ,united ,states and   
throughout the world2 and  7#ad7 a      
,national ,service ,animals ,monument   
would represent a place of pride1       
introspection1 and education to pay     
tribute to the contributions and        
sacrifices made by all service animals  
and handlers of service animals         
throughout history4  #c4 ,designation of
 monument as ,national ,service ,animals
 ,monument  7a7 ,designation ,the       
monument to commemorate and recognize   
the heroic deeds and sacrifices of      
service animals and the handlers of     
service animals in the ,united ,states1 
to be constructed by the ,national      
,service ,animals ,monument ,corporation

 at a location determined to be         
appropriate by the ,national ,service   
,animals ,monument ,corporation1 is     
designated as the ,national ,service    
,animals ,monument4  7b7 ,effect of     
designation  7#a7 ,in general ,the      
monument designated by subsection 7a7 is
 not a unit of the ,national ,park      
,system4  7#b7 ,use of ,federal funds   
,the designation of the monument by     
subsection 7a7 shall not require        
,federal funds to be expended for any   
purpose relating to the monument4