Warrior Dogs is a partnership exhibition between the Napa Valley Museum Yountville and the Tug McGraw Foundation.

​

Warrior Dogs explores the history of dogs in service, their selection, evaluation, training, tasks, and retirement, but more importantly, the close bonds they form with the handlers who serve with them.The displays include the specialized gear to keep them safe and battle-ready. The lives of retired warrior dogs are explored too, including reunions with their handlers and the challenges and happy endings from their adoption. The exhibition also highlights the use of Working Dogs to assist Veterans suffering with PTSD, and in search and rescue, fire, police and other civilian forces. The service and sacrifice of these four-legged fighters are movingly embodied in the wooden sculptures of artist James Mellick, who captures their individual stories. The newest Mellick sculptures include “Cairo,” who deployed with the U.S. Navy Seal Team to Afghanistan, and “Torque,” the Huey Helicopter Dog, making her debut in this exhibition and who will be there in “dog” at the opening.