The Ad Council is a private non-profit organization that produces public service advertisements to address social issues. It was founded in 1942 to support the war effort. National K9 Veterans Day on March 13 commemorates the service of military and working dogs throughout history. The first official use of dogs in the U.S. Armed Forces was on March 13, 1942 with the start of the Army's War Dog Program. Today military dogs are valued members of their units with their own retirement ceremonies and memorial services. Commemorating veteran dogs can boost morale for those who have served with or worked with K9 units.