Billerica to Host Purple Poppy Walk to Fund Service Animals Monument

Billerica is holding a Purple Poppy Walk for Animals on Saturday, Oct. 11, at the Billerica Dog Park to support the creation of the National Service Animals Monument (NSAM) in Washington, D.C. The monument will honor all service animals and their handlers.

The Purple Poppy Walk will be held from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the dog park, located at 270 Treble Cove Road. Attendees can walk with or without a dog — leashes are required — and will receive a commemorative bracelet in recognition of their participation.

“If you travel to other countries, you might see parks and vast monuments honoring the animals sacrificed in their wars,” said Shirley Holdman of the Friends of the Billerica Dog Park Committee in a statement shared with The (Lowell) Sun. “In our country, our U.S.A. does not have a national site for recognition. Without the consistent support of military working dogs, horses, dolphins, and other animals, the outcome from our wars would have been very different.”

The NSAM project, authorized by bipartisan congressional approval in December 2022, will feature a life-sized bronze sculpture garden depicting approximately 15 service animals and their handlers, including military dogs, therapy dogs, pigeons, and horses.

Renowned sculptor Susan Bahary, who previously created the first official war dog monument, “Always Faithful,” at the U.S. Naval Base in Guam, is leading the artistic vision for NSAM. Bahary is working with her team to identify a site in the nation's capital and raise the estimated $25 million to $30 million needed to build it.

According to a Share America statistic, an estimated 500,000 service dogs work every day in the United States. These service animals have significantly impacted the lives of people with various challenges by providing safety, independence, and companionship.

Learn more about the NASM project by visiting the organization's website.