The White House unveiled designs Monday for the 2027 Working Dogs Commemorative Coin Program.
“Commemorative coins have very clear legislative rules,” President and CEO of America’s VetDogs John Miller said. “There’s only two that could be approved each year. You have to get 290 co-sponsors in the House before they’ll take it for a vote. … So, you know, so when I say it took us two Congresses, you know, we didn’t get it over the finish line the first time, right? So, we had to start over in the second Congress.”
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: US Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans attends as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at the White House on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: US Army Command Sergeant Major Gretchen Evans attends as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at the White House on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
“It costs us, you know, well over $50,000 to get each dog set but there’s no charge to the veteran and first responders,” Miller said. “So, a program like this, you know, really helps bring awareness to the organization and more importantly to the services that are available for veterans.”
The Working Dog Commemorative Coin Act was signed into law on Nov. 25, 2024, and included plans for a $5 gold coin, a $1 silver coin, and a clad half dollar. The different currencies depict various types of working dogs: gold for therapy dogs, silver for guide and service dogs, and clad for military and law enforcement K-9s.
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R) Kevin Bittenbender and Ming Chiang attend as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at White House on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R) Kevin Bittenbender and Ming Chiang attend as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at White House on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
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WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R) Kevin Bittenbender and Ming Chiang attend as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at White House on September 21, 2026 in
Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
The minting of the coins is expected to begin in November, with the coin sales scheduled for January 2027, Miller said. More than 50 artists submitted work for the final six designs. When deciding which designs to pick, Miller said they wanted to honor as many different working dogs as possible.
“We wanted to highlight, you know, really kind of how dogs have helped in American history, right,” Miller said. “Whether they’re military dogs, police dogs, and now certainly, service dogs are at the forefront. We wanted to have the biggest representation.”
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R)John Miller, President & CEO, America’s VetDogs, and James C. McCloughan, Specialist Fifth Class, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, attend as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at the White House on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
" data-large-file="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?w=696" height="683" width="1024" src="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?w=696" alt="(L-R)John Miller, President & CEO, America's VetDogs, and James C. McCloughan, Specialist Fifth Class, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, attend as U.S. Mint and America's VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at the White House on Sept. 21, 2026 in Washington, D.C." class="wp-image-4738604" style="width:519px;height:auto" srcset="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg 4722w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=300,200 300w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=768,512 768w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=1024,683 1024w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=1536,1024 1536w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=2048,1365 2048w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=150,100 150w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=696,464 696w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=1068,712 1068w, https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/09/2296422497.jpg?resize=1920,1280 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px">
WASHINGTON, DC – SEPTEMBER 21: (L-R)John Miller, President & CEO, America’s VetDogs, and James C. McCloughan, Specialist Fifth Class, Congressional Medal of Honor Recipient, attend as U.S. Mint and America’s VetDogs unveil final designs for 2027 Working Dog Commemorative Coins at the White House on September 21, 2026 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images for America’s VetDogs)
America’s VetDogs was founded over 20 years ago in 2003 and gave former President George H.W. Bush his service dog, Sully. Miller has led the organization for around eight years after being drawn to its mission. Miller was in Washington, D.C., for the coin design unveiling as well as veterans who participated in the program, including Joe Worley.
“I thought that I could manage my PTSD,” Worley said. “You know, I could just leave it behind, kind of ignore it because I’m doing OK. And I wasn’t. … So, when that time came, I knew I needed help and I applied for America’s VetDogs.”
Worley joined the military as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, working with Marine units. In 2009, while Worley was in Iraq, his unit was going through Fallujah when he was caught in an ambush. An RKG3 grenade blasted through his door, injuring both legs and his right forearm, knocking him unconscious.
After two and a half years, in 2011, his leg was amputated, leading to his discharge from the military in 2013. The road to civilian life was long and hard, and for almost 10 years, Worley resisted getting help with his post-traumatic stress disorder. Until he hit a breaking point.
Worley detailed the lengthy application process and explained how it was worth it, as he was eventually assigned Luce, an English Labrador, as a mobility and PTSD service dog.
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Worley now serves on the Board of Directors for America’s VetDogs, and encourages people to ask for help and take the steps needed to recover.
“It’s that simple, I actually have a life now,” Worley said. “Before him, like, I didn’t want to be in the world because I wanted to be somewhere safe, right? Which is, normally for me, it was like a small apartment, or like a barracks room, and it’s because then you can control your environment. … But you can’t live your life like that; that’s not a life.”
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
