The idea for Pups for Peace was born in early April 2002 in the wake of the Passover massacre at the Park Hotel in the seaside resort town of Netanya, Israel. In the years since then, the program has gone from an idea to a reality welcomed by the highest echelons of Israeli security. It has also received the attention of the stewards of the global war against terrorism in the US.

Our successful original pilot projects demonstrated that the Pups for Peace concept is practical. Planning then began to establish a capability to train and deploy a large force of explosive-detection dogs in Israel to protect civilians from terrorist attacks.

The initial pilot was with the IDF, concluding successfully in the Fall 2002 with PFP's first dogs going to Israel. In April 2003, our new facility in Israel received its first dogs. In May, the first civilian pilot project began at the Netanya bus station, in association with Egged Bus and the Transportation Ministry. By early July, our first civilian pilot project had been declared a resounding success. Egged requested dogs and training for bus stations across Israel as soon as possible. Other civilian applications were also in development and it was clear that the dogs and handlers were urgently needed.

Now we've moved beyond the original pilot programs, and a substantial expansion of the program is in progress, not only in Israel but in the United States. In addition to the original training camp facility we built and operate in northern Israel, we have established 6 other handler training camps throughout the country. We have continually deployed dog and handler teams within Israel. Expansion also involves continued purchase and training of dogs and handlers, not only in Israel but also in California through the partnership of the California Governor's Office of Homeland Security. It is with this partnership that in April of 2007 we have now deployed Counter-Terrorism Canine-Handler Teams throughout the state of California in the public transportation arenas. The training of the California program is funded by the California Office of Homeland Security.

The original Pups for Peace plan entailed the training of roughly 300 dogs per year for 3 years. The production methodology has been proven successful. The funding required for this level of production has been budgeted at $2.7 million per year, for the first 3 years. This includes all cost of operations, capital expenditures, and, of course, dog acquisition. [ TOP ]

In just 5 years, Pups for Peace (PFP) has moved from a pilot project status to an ongoing program to protect innocent civilians. This expansion is a validation of our mission to "detect terror to save lives" via the utilization of explosive-detection dogs in locations within the interior of Israel as well as California.
Unlike the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) that provide security for the borders of Israel, PFP is the only nonprofit that purchases and trains bomb-sniffing dogs to protect Israeli citizens as they go about their daily lives -- shopping in outdoor markets and malls and taking public transportation within Israel.

Understandably, the Israeli government is strapped for funds and unable to finance these security services. Hence, Pups for Peace was born out of necessity. PFP works collaboratively with Israel's combined security forces (including the IDF, municipal police and the border police) and is proud to provide these additional protective services for Israel's civilian population

Saved Lives and Prevented Injuries

To date, Pups for Peace has played a demonstrable role in deterring a significant number of terrorist incidents, as reported in the press and in statements by both the Israel Police and the IDF. As cited in the November 8, 2004 edition of the Jerusalem Post:

"A PFP team was instrumental in preventing an attack on Jerusalem's Caf? Caffit on July 14, 2004, when a handler and his two dogs, named Heidi and Moshe Herzl, were called to the scene from their patrol near Davidka Square. At the same time, sniffer dogs, Mira and Rubin, were brought by their handler from Emek Refaim to provide reinforcement. While the organization will not reveal details of how the attack was thwarted, it is clear that the PFP teams, which work in eight-hour shifts and change their location every two hours or so, saved the day."

An article entitled, "These Israeli 'Agents Have a Nose for Explosives," published on January 26, 2005 in The Christian Science Monitor quoted Ronnie Lotan, previous PFP Director General in Israel as follows:

"In one recent incident, a suicide bomber in Jerusalem aborted her attempts to board a packed bus after seeing a Pups for Peace patrol at the bus stop. Although she then detonated her device nearby, killing two soldiers who attempted to check her bag, the lives of a large number of civilians on board the bus were saved."

Accolades From Israeli Government

We are very grateful for the overwhelming support expressed by our professional colleagues, government officials, members of the Israel Defense Forces and, of course among our friends and generous donors. Former Mayor of Jerusalem and Deputy Prime Minister, Ehud Olmert stated:

"Pups for Peace is a unique and innovative response to answering our growing need to protect the Israeli public. With existing security forces already stretched to the limit, the use of trained dogs, capable of detecting explosives and providing early warning of attacks is desperately needed and welcomed."

In March of 2004, the Knesset honored Pups for Peace for its "contribution to civilian security." For further endorsements of our activities, please note our website, www.pupsforpeace.org

Focus On Public Transportation

The Israel Ministry of Transportation requested Pups for Peace to focus its 2004 / 2005 efforts exclusively on public transportation sites, where civilian casualties are high.

After receiving major grant funding in 2004, PFP purchased another 60 dogs from Europe. Since PFP's inception, we have trained/or are training approximately 280 dogs and 140 handlers. Pups for Peace now has teams deployed in Jerusalem, Central Israel, and are expanding further into Northern and Southern Israel.

Rigorous Training Program

Once the dogs are purchased, they are brought to Israel for a 4-6 month rigorous training period with their handlers. In 2005 we built two fully equipped kennels (in addition to our basic training facility in the Golan), one in Jerusalem and the other in Netanya with 28 separate units for each dog to reside when they are not deployed.

An extensive support system is required to train our dogs. This includes food and veterinary services, bomb detection technicians for training, storage space for equipment, communication devices, and vehicles to transport the teams where they are needed. Importantly, the dogs receive top treatment. Their kennels are washed out daily, and the dogs are fed twice a day. Any little scratch a dog may incur during the course of his training is treated immediately. While it is very expensive to purchase and train a "bomb detection team" ($25,000), we cannot place a price on saving a human life

Revolutionized Security Dog Training

Since the organization's inception in 2002, Pups for Peace has revolutionized the approach to security dog deployment. While a dog's attention span in is half an hour on average, the need for the dog's presence is ongoing. PFP partners 2-3 dogs with each handler, forming a "bomb-detection team." This enables the team to remain on location for eight hours straight without abandoning the field for more than a few minutes to change the dogs and allow the dog that had been active to rest. Each team is equipped with a vehicle, thereby enabling mobility of the team and a safe and comfortable environment for the dogs when they are off duty.

Positive Impact On The Economy

During the first 2.5 years, Pups for Peace had contributed to Israel's economy by creating 30 new jobs. We believe that our program will grow to be self-sustaining over the next three years, and can be expected to provide for Israel's need for explosive-detection dogs well into the future. Additionally, the program has the potential to provide leadership in this niche of the worldwide security industry.

As is abundantly clear, tourism has been severely impacted because of the perception of terrorist attacks. To the extent that PFP can prevent these horrific events, tourism to Israel will increase. This will expand Israel's economy, which has been hindered since the beginning of the Intifada.

How We Leverage Your Donations

» Commitment to Low Overhead
Pups for Peace is unique in its approach to business. Unlike other nonprofits, more than 90% of the monies raised goes directly to the procurement, care, feeding, transportation, and training of these dogs. Specifically, fundraising expenses were only 5% of our revenues. General and Administrative expenses were somewhat higher in 2004 (but still only 14% of revenues) largely as a result of administering operations in both Israel and the United States until we were able to move all of our operations to Israel.

» Volunteer Staff
Other than four paid administrative employees in the US and Israel and three paid dog handlers in Israel, there is very little overhead to support. Our volunteer Board of Directors function as staff. Our homes are used as offices, and our general volunteers serve as our goodwill ambassadors, speaking on behalf of the organization in cities across the United States. Legal and accounting services are provided pro bono whenever possible. Design, translation, PFP merchandise and printing costs are donated or heavily discounted to a fraction of their fair-market value.

» Shared Costs
Donor contributions are highly leveraged. Once the dog/handler teams are trained and supplied, the Ministry of Transportation and other security forces cover their expenses. The funds we receive are used immediately to purchase, train and deploy bomb-sniffing dogs at bus and rail settings. Since 65% of civilian casualties have taken place on buses, rail or at the stations, dogs and handlers are needed as quickly as they can be produced.

Future Pups for Peace Plans

As we move further into 2007, our current focus is to provide 500 dogs to Israel over the next three years, build a new training facility in Israel, and start a breeding program. As Pups for Peace approaches its 5th anniversary, we look forward to maintaining our commitment to Israel's security and well-being. In that spirit, we are reminded of the generosity of our donors and place special value on that partnership. We hope that you will continue to join us in supporting this most important mission. [ TOP ]

Pups for Peace History

In 2002, during Passover dinner at the Park Hotel in Netanya, a suicide bomber killed 30 and injured 140 innocent civilians. Horrified by the vicious attack and others like it, a group of concerned American Jews was moved to do something to prevent such devastating events in the future. Within a short period of time "Pups for Peace" was established to safeguard Israeli lives and to provide a sense of security to a traumatized population.

Pups for Peace is the only nonprofit in the world that purchases and trains explosive-detection dogs to protect the Israeli public. It works in conjunction with Israel's security forces to identify suicide bombers and explosives in heavily trafficked cities and checkpoints before they are able to carry out their deadly missions. PFP offers an effective and non-violent way to counter terrorism against innocent Israeli citizens.

Honored by the Knesset

Pups for Peace has already saved hundreds of lives by aborting homicide/suicide bomb attempts. As a result, it has earned the enthusiastic support and respect of the Israel Defense Forces, the Israel Police, and civil defense authorities. Importantly, the Israeli Knesset was so grateful to Pups for Peace, it honored the organization with an award in March 2004.

Since 60% of civilian casualties occur at public transportation locales, Pups for Peace was requested by the Israeli Ministry of Transportation to deploy dogs at bus and rail terminals in Netanya, Beer Sheva and Jerusalem. This focus will requires hundreds of dog teams (1 handler plus 2-3 dogs) to insure public safety.

Why haven't I heard of Pups for Peace before?
Rather than fund costly advertising programs, Pups for Peace allocates 90% of the money it raises to training and deploying dogs. Except for a handful of employees in the U.S. and Israel, volunteers undertake all other PFP functions. All members of the Board of Directors serve without salary. The majority of design and merchandise costs have been donated. Printing and translation costs have been heavily discounted to reflect only a fraction of their fair market value.

Grass-root efforts, in community after community, have accounted for the organization's success in raising $1-6 million annually. The most effective way for you to assist Pups for Peace is to help us "get the word out." Let your friends, colleagues, and family know the invaluable contribution that this organization is making to Israeli society.

How you can help

We urge you to support Pups for Peace's mission of "Detecting Terror to Save Lives." There are several ways that you can help:

» Adopt a Dog
The single most important contribution that you can make is to adopt at a dog. A gift of $10,000 allows you to name your dog, receive photos and progress reports, and visit your dog when you are in Israel. Our major donors (with their permission of course) are listed in the Toda Raba Section of our newsletter and on our website. Often, friends, families, religious schools, or synagogue groups pool their resources to share the cost.

» Make a Donation of any Amount
We facilitate charitable giving by providing this service online or via our toll-free phone number (1-800-669-8930). We accept checks, major credit cards, and Israel bonds. Bequests and tributes are deeply appreciated. All contributions are tax deductible to the extent allowed by law. Internal Revenue Service Nonprofit Tax Exempt 501(c)(3) EIN 73-164-3812.

» Host a "Parlor Meeting."
Parlor meetings raise the most money in the shortest time. The hosts provide dessert or hors d'oeuvres and wine for as many of their friends and neighbors as they wish -- usually 15 - 50. We will provide an effective speaker, DVD, and educational materials that emphasize PFP'S important role in Israel's security. This is followed by an appeal for funds. Some of these meetings have raised enough money to purchase five dogs.

» Encourage your children to participate in Pups for Peace via grass-roots events.
Bar and Bat mitzvah children and adults learn the meaning of Tzedakah by asking their guests to contribute to Pups for Peace in their honor. We've also had B'nai Mitzvah boys and girls donate some or all of their own gifts to PFP.

Or, your son or daughter of any age can work with your synagogue, religious school, or Jewish community center to develop a fund-raiser that his/her friends can participate in. We've seen children raise money via car washes, raffles, bake sales, lemonade stands, walk-a-thons with both stuffed and real animals, dance-a-thons, and photo exhibits of dogs. We typically post photos from these events on our website, which not only honors the fundraiser, but also provides an example for others to follow.

While these events don't raise as much money as Parlor Meetings, they provide a wonderful way for Jewish children to learn the importance of Tzedakah by reaching out to others in Israel. It’s also a fantastic learning experience for all children who get involved in community service to help guide them to be young humanitarians. These events help to build Pups for Peace awareness in the community and can often result in publicity in your community newspaper.

» Inform your Synagogue, Jewish Community Center, and Federation about the important role PFP plays in Israel.
Suggest to your synagogue, JCC, and Jewish Federation that they contact Pups for Peace to learn how they can lend support. Many synagogues have allowed PFP representatives to educate and solicit financial support from the congregation. In other cases, the rabbi has made an appeal for funds during the High Holy Days or on Shabbat.

Other synagogues and Jewish Community Centers have sponsored festivals, art shows, films, raffles, and photo exhibits. Synagogues have also been helpful in publishing articles or ads at no cost in their newsletters. We can send you an ad that explains our mission, provides our toll-free number, and promotes our website. Additionally a number of Federations have donated money from their Israel Emergency Fund to Pups for Peace.

» Start a Memorial - Tribute Gift Program
This simple program of remembrance or tribute to honor a loved one merely requires placement of tribute envelopes in high-traffic (lobby, social hall, and gift shop) areas of the synagogue or JCC. After a donation is made, we will forward an appropriate card or letter to the person who was honored or to the bereaved. These envelopes also can be inserted in the synagogue's newsletter or in a special mailing from the synagogue.

All of us at Pups for Peace are grateful for your support and encourage you to develop new ideas for creative fund-raising. Please contact our Administrator, at (1-800-669-8930) to make a donation or to learn more about planning a fundraising event in your community. [ TOP ]

Q: How much does a dog cost?
A: Typically $10,000 after we include the purchase price, food, transportation, kennels, equipment, trainers, and veterinary care. Currently there is great demand for these dogs because of the increase in international terrorist attacks. Consequently, the price for dogs continues to rise.

Q: What breed of dog is used?
A: The majority of bomb-sniffing dogs are German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds/Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retrievers. They are chosen because they have exceptional hunting skills in their bloodlines. The tenacity, intelligence and mental stability needed for excellent hunting dogs are some of the same skills needed for bomb-detection dogs.

Q: Do all dogs of the breeds mentioned above qualify?
A: Unfortunately, no. The dog must fit a particular psychological profile:
» Exhibits a high energy level
» Loves to play with toys
» Has an obsessive-compulsive desire to seek out an object in order to receive a toy as a reward
» Shows the stamina to stay focused for an extended period of time, since the activity of sniffing out explosives is physically and mentally tiring.

In addition, the dog must be able to screen out distractions, including food. At the same time, he must be able to stay calm once the explosives have been identified. PFP dogs are trained to sit and stare at the location of their "find" until given permission to move. They are not "attack dogs."

Q: Where do the dogs come from?
A: The worldwide law-enforcement community has, over the years, identified specialty dog suppliers all over the world. Currently we import our dogs from Europe. However, if we raise enough funds, we can begin to breed them ourselves in Israel.

Q: Why don't you go to animal shelters for the dogs?
A: We do but unfortunately it is rare to find the precise qualifications for a bomb-sniffing dog in shelters -- but not impossible. The problem is that we cannot fly all over the country or the world to test each dog to determine if he is qualified. It is more efficient to purchase dogs from trusted breeders.

Q: How long does it take to train a dog? Are the handlers trained at the same time?
A: It usually takes between 4 and 6 months to train a dog. For the first 2-3 months the dog works with an instructor to learn the behavior necessary to detect explosives. He is trained to find a number of different types of explosives. The dog is then "handler-ready." The handlers join their dogs for 2-3 months of bonding into a cohesive explosives-detection team. They are trained as a team until they are deployed together.

Q: What skills are required of a good handler?
A: The requirements for an explosive-detection dog handler are very different from that of a regular dog trainer. Being a good handler requires very specific knowledge of security and explosives. Most of our handlers have a background in the military, law enforcement, and/or security. They must have the ability to "read" their dog -- to be sensitive to it -- and to communicate with it. They also need to have excellent "people skills" since they will be dealing with the public.

Q: Can the smell of explosives be masked by perfume or some other strong smell that will fool the dog?
A: A dog's nose functions more effectively than any machine. If a single gram of cocaine is hidden in 10 pounds of coffee, then placed in a paper bag, and then hidden in a metal cabinet, the dog can smell the metal of the cabinet, the paper of the bag, the coffee, and then the single gram of cocaine. A strong "decoy" smell will not mask the scent for a trained dog.

Q: Have any of the Pups for Peace dogs been successful in identifying explosives?
A: Yes, the dogs have been successful. However, for security reasons, we cannot say how many operations they foiled. However, there are two recent articles on our web page that discuss their success. One is called, "To Sniff And Protect" which was published in the Jerusalem Post. The other article entitled, "These Israeli 'Agents' Have A Nose For Explosives" appeared in the Christian Science Monitor.

Q: Are the dogs at risk?
A: The dogs are deployed at high-risk sites. Most importantly, their work is to prevent explosives from being detonated and to save lives. We do everything we can to keep them happy and in good health. However, they are at as much risk as their handlers.

Q: What will become of a dog that is no longer useful for detecting explosives?
A: Our dogs are extremely precious to us. We rely on them to save lives, and love them for the work they do. The dogs' handlers entrust their lives to their dogs and, understandably, grow quite attached to them. On average, a dog's period of service is 6 - 7 years. Then the dog lives out his life with his handler or is adopted into a private home. Even those dogs that don't quite measure up in training are given away to loving families.

Q: Doesn't Israel already have plenty of bomb-sniffing dogs?
A: Israel does have bomb-sniffing dogs in its military and police, as do most other developed nations. However, no country has ever before been subjected to the onslaught of homicide bombings that Israeli civilians have experienced in the last few years. Therefore, both the demand and the expense are high. Also, army dogs typically scout borders and checkpoints whereas Pups for Peace dogs are deployed within Israel's interior at shopping malls, markets, on trains & buses, and at public transportation sites. PFP is a rapid response, grassroots effort to address this shortage.

Q: How much of the money that is donated to Pups for Peace goes to fundraising and/or administrative costs?
A: Pups for Peace's objective is to forward 90% of the funds raised to the procurement, care, feeding, transportation, and training of our dogs. In 2002 we were able to do that. In 2003, while our fundraising expenses were low (5% of revenues), our general and administrative expenses were higher than in the previous year (14% of revenues) because of the one-time expense of moving all of PFP dogs and equipment (12 tons worth) to Israel. Now that we are settled in Israel and have no training operations in the U.S., we expect that number to decline. We will provide additional information after our 2004 financial statement is released.

Q: I'm interested in volunteering. What can I do?
A: The actual training of explosive-detection dogs is a very specialized field. The trainer must understand explosives, policing, and security. Unfortunately, the knowledge of training house pets is very different from that required to train our dogs. While we appreciate all offers for volunteer help, our primary need is to raise money so that we can continue to purchase and train dogs. You will find creative ways to fund-raise for Pups for Peace on our website www.pupsforpeace.org on the page called, "Who We Are & How You Can Help."

Q: Who names the dogs?
A: Typically the person, family, synagogue, federation, country club, JCC or other organization that raises $10,000, names their dog. Currently we have dogs named Heidi, Rubin, Yael, Moshe Herzl, Mira, Boomer, Roni, and many others.

IF WE CAN ANSWER ANY OTHER QUESTIONS THAT YOU MAY HAVE, PLEASE LET US KNOW. [ TOP ]