Raise the "Ruff" for Rico!

Retired mine detection dog Rico Cosby continues to impact the lives of those affected by landmines. When Rico retired from sniffing out landmines in Bosnia & Herzegovina in 2022, he made the long journey to the United States to serve as The Marshall Legacy Institute's Canine Ambassador. For the past three and a half years, Rico has worked towards two goals: 1. Visit as many states as possible to raise awareness about the humanitarian impact of landmines, and 2. Raise enough money to sponsor a new mine detection dog to continue his heroic work in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

In October 2025, K9 Ambassador Rico met his goal of raising the funds to sponsor a mine detection dog! Fundraising efforts included generous donations from various supporters, demonstrations and events, sales of his book, Rico Cosby: The Heroic Work of a Mine Detection Dog, participation in all kinds of awareness events, and just by being the incredible dog he is.

Rico Cosby was sponsored by school children in the CHAMPS club at the Brunswick School in Connecticut in 2014. He heroically served as a mine detection dog in Bosnia & Herzegovina before coming to the United States in 2022. He is a great example of how CHAMPS continues to make a significant impact in the area of demining. When Rico visits schools and organizations, we share his story, accomplishments, and showcase the amazing impact these dogs have on communities around the world.

During his career, Rico and his human handler contributed to the clearance of 600,000 square meters of land in Bosnia & Herzegovina. His work helped save countless lives and made the land safe for use by the Bosnian people. Children are now able to run and play safely, farmers can use the land without worry of injury or death, and infrastructure can be rebuilt and established, contributing to the well-being of the country as a whole.

This year commemorates the 30th anniversary of the signing of the Dayton Peace Accords, which ended the Bosnian War in 1995. Despite significant efforts over the past 30 years, approximately 70,000 deadly landmines still lie buried beneath the ground throughout the country. The Rico's Reach Campaign, launched in 2023, brought awareness to the deadly impacts of landmines. Rico's MDD "CHAMP" - the new mine detection dog sponsored by Rico will be named CHAMP (in honor of MLI's signature education program CHildren Against Mines Program) and will continue Rico's legacy of sniffing out landmines in Bosnia & Herzegovina.

Rico is the sweetest dog in the world, and one would never know by looking at him how amazing he is. As the K9 Ambassador, Rico has accomplished so much.

• He has performed 96 demonstrations

• He has presented to more than 13,000 people (9,000 of the children) from visits to 72 schools and 52 organizations.

• He has published a book about his life and has been part of different community events serving his local community.

• Rico has visited 10 different states and is hopeful to visit many more in the future.

Congratulations to Rico Cosby, a true hero and amazing dog!