11 year oldest Military Working Dog retired

JBER’s oldest military working dog retires after 8-year career

By: Madeline McGee, Anchorage Daily News via the AP
March 10, 2019

JOINT BASE ELMENDORF-RICHARDSON, Alaska — After nearly eight years of military service, the oldest military working dog at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson will, for the first time, become somebody’s pet.

Kimba, a military working dog, sits with her new owner, Capt. Luke Restad, at her retirement ceremony March 1 at Joint Base Elemendorf-Richardson, Alaska. (Madeline McGee/Anchorage Daily News via AP)

Military Working Dog Kimba, an 11-year-old Belgian Malinois serving with JBER’s 673rd Security Forces Squadron, part of the Air Force’s 673rd Air Base Wing, retired Friday in a ceremony attended by four of her canine comrades. Her career had included everything from foot patrols of the base to drug detection to demonstration patrols.

In her eight year career at JBER, Kimba has been assigned to seven different handlers and hit on 32 narcotics finds, officials said. Her most recent handler, Staff Sgt. Christopher Bennett, called her "the best friend" he's had since he's been at serving at JBER.

Kimba completed her training in 2011 at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, squadron officials said. Out of about 2,500 tested for military service every year, about 750 are selected for rigorous training. An additional quarter drop out before completing the training.
read more here

Iraq veteran and K9 reunite

Bomb-sniffing dog, handler reunited after service in Iraq
BY TRIBUNE MEDIA WIRE
JUNE 7, 2018

MONROE TOWNSHIP, Pa. - A dog that served our country in Iraq for most of his life now gets to retire with his owner.

Troy Sutton of Lumberton, North Carolina, has been in Iraq off and on since 2011 with his Dutch shepherd Ali. The two were nearly inseparable for about five years while they worked together in Iraq as an explosive detection team.

But when Ali was forced to retire in December due to old age, Sutton was worried they would never see each other again. That's until a dog rescue in Herndon stepped in.

"He was my life over there because he took care of me," Sutton told WNEP.

Sutton lives near Wilmington, North Carolina, and served in the United States Army for 24 years. He works for American K-9 Detection Services and works with dogs to sniff out bombs in Iraq.
read more here

Retired Military Working Dogs received Medal of Courage

These four military dogs just received the nation’s highest honor
Military Times
By: Charlsy Panzino
9 minutes ago

Four veterans were honored with Medal of Courage awards on Capitol Hill on May 22.

Army veteran Dennis Dow with Jag, from left, Marine veteran Kevin Zuniga with Taker, Air Force veteran Micah Jones with Summer and Taba, who was adopted by a former K-9 police dog handler and his family. (American Humane)

They didn’t give any speeches, but not just because they were humble — the four vets are retired military working dogs.

The American Humane Lois Pope K-9 Medal of Courage is the highest honor for military dogs that displayed extraordinary valor and service to their country.

“These remarkable dogs have given us their best,” veterans advocate Lois Pope said at the ceremony. “They have put their own lives on the line to protect us, to defend us, and to save us.”
read more here

Army mishandled 200 bomb-sniffing dogs!

Army mishandled bomb-sniffing dogs from Afghanistan, report says
Associated Press
March 4, 2018

WASHINGTON — A report finds that the Army failed to do right by some of the more than 200 bomb-sniffing dogs that served with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, detecting roadside bombs and saving lives.

A 3-year-old chocolate lab and tactical explosives detector dog chews on a tennis ball at the National Training Center on Fort Irwin, Calif., in 2012. (Sgt. Christopher M. Gaylord/Army)

The Defense Department’s inspector general has determined that, after the program ended in 2014, some soldiers struggled or were unable to adopt the dogs they had handled.

This included two dogs among 13 that were given to a private company to be used as service dogs for veterans but then abandoned at a Virginia kennel.

read more here,,,,then contact Congress TO DO THE RIGHT THING!

Marine Honors Dying War Dog With Bucket List

UPDATE

Community turns out for U.S. Marine veteran dog's last ride

MUSKEGON, MI - More than 100 people, 30 Jeeps and about 35 American flags gathered in honor of a four-legged Marine veteran on Wednesday, July 26.


Muskegon Marine creates bucket list for dying war dog
WOOD 8 News
Evan Dean
Published: July 21, 2017

MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — It’s hard to forget the heartwarming reunion of U.S. Marine Cpl. Jeff DeYoung and his bomb-sniffing war dog, Cena.

Now, DeYoung is trying to make sure his partner’s final days are just as unforgettable.

Marine Lance Cpl. Jeff DeYoung is reunited with his combat dog Cena. (June 5, 2014) The pair’s 2014 reunion made national headlines. Since then, they’ve lived and worked side-by-side in Muskegon.

“It was me and him against the world overseas. And now it was me and him against the world back home. And that changed our war,” said DeYoung, who suffers from post-traumatic stress disorder.

Cena is now 10 years old, dealing with a wartime injury and a body that’s breaking down. A veterinarian visit last week revealed the worst.

“They diagnosed him with bone cancer,” DeYoung said Friday.

The war dog who served three combat tours overseas likely only has a couple of weeks left to live. DeYoung doesn’t want Cena to suffer any longer.
read more here

Humane Society Hero Dogs Of Year

Hooch, an abused French mastiff, is Hero Dog of the Year
Associated Press
LEANNE ITALIE
October 29, 2016

NEW YORK — The human nearly lost his life to drug and alcohol addiction. The dog, well, he nearly lost his life to humans.

A French mastiff named Hooch, rescued by Zach Skow in Tehachapi, California, is the 2016 American Humane organization's Hero Dog of the Year, bestowed in a Beverly Hills ceremony taped in September and broadcast Friday on the Hallmark Channel.

Hooch, among eight canine finalists, wore his best tuxedo collar, though he was reluctant to join Skow on stage.

Hosted by James Denton and Beth Stern, and featuring Dave Foley, Kym Johnson, Robert Herjavec, Marilu Henner and Greg Louganis, among other celebrities, this is the sixth year for the awards.
The other seven finalists for Hero Dog, all honored for their service, are:

• Law enforcement: Edo, a K-9 superstar with the Los Angeles Police Department, and handler Nhut Huynh. Edo, a Belgian malinois, was the first sent into a house where a shootout was underway. He pulled the armed man away from his weapon.

• Search and rescue: Kobuk, a German shepherd, and handler Elizabeth Fossett in York, Maine. He sniffed out an elderly woman with diabetes and dementia after she wandered off from a cabin in the wilderness.

• Service: Gander, a labradoodle rescue, and handler Lon Hodge. Hodge is an Army veteran in Great Lakes, Illinois, who suffers from post traumatic stress disorder and was once homebound for months at a time. The two are inseparable and travel the country helping others with disabilities. "Thank you for saving my life," Hodge told his beloved Gander on the show.

• Military: Layka, another Belgian malinois, and trainer/veteran Julian McDonald in Galena, Kansas. The dog lost a leg when she took fire while McDonald's Ranger unit was assaulting an enemy compound in Afghanistan. McDonald and his family adopted Layka.

• Arson: Judge and handler Lee Laubach Jr., fire chief in Allentown, Pennsylvania. Judge is a yellow Labrador who has worked more than 275 fire scenes and has found evidence leading to multiple arrests and civil penalties for insurance fraud.

• Hearing: Hook, a 12-pound, 10-year-old Chihuahua mix, and handler Joyce Herman. Herman, from Sacramento, California, is a hearing-impaired marriage and family therapist. He pulled Herman off some light train tracks as a train approached and once chased away a prowler in her office waiting room.

• Therapy: Mango, a paralyzed Cairn terrier rescue, and handler Judy Walter, a veteran in Las Cruces, New Mexico. Both dog and human had broken their backs. Mango uses a canine wheelchair to get around. "I healed her and she healed me," said Walter, who now routinely visits disabled vets with Mango.
read more here

Chopper Saved Lives, Then Navy SEAL Fought For Him

Navy SEAL wins battle to keep warrior dog as therapy companion
OC Register
Keith Sharron
Oct. 21, 2016

After almost a decade in the Navy, he said he needed help. His body was breaking down, and so was his mind. He was having nightmares, suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.

You can’t keep your gun.

Grenades, knives, bombs, other tools of war – you can’t keep those either. When you leave the military, no matter who you are or what you sacrificed, your boots are yours but your tools belong to the government.

And it is that seemingly reasonable rule that caused Trevor Maroshek so much pain.

What if your weapon, the one you trained with for years, the one that never left your side, the one that saved your life, what if your weapon curled up next to you at the end of a long day?

What if your weapon was your dog?

And one of those Taliban fighters had a detonator, which they later found was connected to a 600-pound cache of explosives that was buried under the building at the east end of town. The same one the Americans had used to house the villagers.

Chopper had saved them all.

“He got a steak that night,” Maroshek said.
read more here

21-Gun Salute For Iraq Veteran-Belgian Malinois

Bomb-sniffing military dog who served in Iraq gets 21-gun salute
Miami Herald
Karla Ward
September 11, 2016

NICHOLASVILLE, KY
The memorial service had all the somber trappings of the many other military funerals held at Camp Nelson National Cemetery through the years: a lone trumpeter playing taps, the presentation of the flag to the family, a crowd of tearful mourners, a horse-drawn caisson, cannon fire and a 21-gun salute.

But the veteran who was being honored beneath the pavilion Saturday afternoon was unlike any who had been honored at the cemetery before.

The deceased was Iireland, 13, a military working dog who served two tours in Iraq sniffing out explosive devices.

Though Iireland is buried on a farm, the public memorial service for the female Belgian Malinois who died in August was the first of its kind at the cemetery.
read more here

Military Puppies Need Foster Parents in Texas

Foster a future hero: Military pups bred in SA may need your help
KENS
Alicia Neaves
May 03, 2016

100 dogs born in the 341st Training Squadron Military Working Dog Breeding Program each year are destined for a life of service.

SAN ANTONIO -- Military working dogs responsible for saving the lives of our military members are bred and trained in San Antonio.

The biggest challenge for the breeding program is finding enough foster families to socialize the puppies before their official training begins.

KENS 5 stopped by JBSA-Lackland to learn more on has more on how you can help raise the Belgian Malinois puppies that go on to serve our country.

"These guys are like regular dogs on about 11 Red Bulls," said Tracy Cann, a foster consultant at JBSA-Lackland.
read more here

Wonderful Day At the Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion in Melbourne

It was a great day out at the Vietnam and All Veterans Reunion in Melbourne. Sun shining, good food and friends.  

US Marine Dog Receives High UK Award After 400 Missions

Bomb sniffer dog earns animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross
UK Evening Standard
Lizzie Edmonds
April 5, 2016

PDSA Dicken Medal: Since the introduction of the medal in 1943 it has been awarded to 31 dogs, 32 Second World War messenger pigeons, three horses and one cat.

A military dog who lost a leg when sniffing out a roadside bomb has been awarded the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross after serving in more than 400 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lucca receiving her award (Jeremy Selwyn)

Lucca, a 12-year-old German Shepherd, served in the US Marine Corps for six years, protecting the lives of troops by sniffing out munitions.

Her efforts were awarded with the PDSA Dickin Medal, the highest award for animals serving in military conflict.

Lucca is the 67th animal to be honoured in this way and the first US Marine Corps dog to receive the medal.

There were no human casualties during any of her patrols but, in 2012, she lost her leg and suffered chest burns after discovering a home-made bomb in Afghanistan and retired.
read more here

Thirteen Years After Iraq Invasion, Fallen Remembered in Colorado

Iraq War Vets Honored At Civic Center Park On 13th Anniversary Of Invasion
CBS News
March 20, 2016

“Each one of the chairs here represents a person who died serving,” Brittany Bartges with VFW Post 1 said.

DENVER (CBS4) – Sunday marks the 13th anniversary of the invasion of Iraq where thousands of U.S. service members were killed. Several veterans groups gathered to honor those from Colorado who served.

Kevin Sonka’s son David was killed fighting overseas in 2013. He was from Colorado and loved the outdoors — and his military work dog Flex.

“He and his dog were killed together,” Sonka said.

Today Sonka runs the Rocky Mountain Dawgs Project in his son’s honor. It’s just one of multiple organizations that honored those killed in the Iraq War at Civic Center Park Sunday.

read more here

Camp Pendleton Marines Pass Leash of Sirius

FAMILY OF MARINE KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN GETS HIS WAR DOG
ACK.org
By: Liz Donovan
March 2, 2016

On February 26, the Marines Corps held a “passing of the leash” ceremony at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, and in a formal procession on February 27, the Rancho Cucamonga Police Department escorted the Ashley family and Sirius from the airport to their home.

On July 19, 2012, at only 23 years old, Marine Joshua Ashley was killed by an IED blast while serving in Afghanistan. His beloved war dog, a German Shepherd named Sirius, was with him. Sirius survived the explosion.

This year, Sirius was retired, and Ashley’s family was given the chance to offer him a permanent home in Rancho Cucamonga, California.

Ashley’s mother, Tammie Ashley, recalls the last conversation she had with her son, during which he asked her to keep Sirius until he was finished serving.
read more here

Hero Dog Layka Saved Lives, Now Has Army Behind Her

Hero Military Dog That Saved Unit in Afghanistan Gets a Second Chance
ABC News
By ESTHER CASTILLEJO
Nov 25, 2015

During her deployment in Afghanistan, U.S. military combat dog, Layka, saved many lives and now some of them are helping save hers.

Layka, a Belgian Malinois, lost one of her front legs when she was shot four times during an ambush in Afghanistan in 2013. Despite her wounds, the dog managed to save the soldiers from an attacker inside the building she was sent to clear.

Now 5 years old and adopted by her Afghanistan handler, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald, Layka faces the possibility of losing her remaining front paw from a bad ATV jump earlier this fall.

"It's a big injury because she only has one leg," said Rebecca Switzer of Oklahoma, who met Layka and her handler at an event more than a year ago. "She struggled along with one leg and now her other leg is in jeopardy."
read more here

Wyoming Sheriff Says No Charges After Combat Service Dog Killed

No charges will be filed in fatal shooting of service dog
Associated Press
Updated 4 hrs ago

POWELL, Wyo. — The Park County Sheriff's Office says no charges will be filed in connection to the fatal shooting of a Powell veteran's service dog.

Matthew Bessler served with his Belgian Malinois, named Mike, in Iraq in the U.S. Army before bringing the dog home to Powell to help him with his post-traumatic stress disorder. Mike was shot and killed on Oct. 10.

Sheriff Scott Steward on Thursday said he didn't doubt Mike was a caring companion to Bessler, but he also didn't doubt that the 10-year-old dog attacked and injured a 70-year-old man in April. The shooter says Mike attacked him.
read more here

Iraq Veteran Needs Help to Bury Service Dog With Honors

UPDATE
No charges will be filed in fatal shooting of service dog

Retired military K9 shot, killed in Powell
Retired military dog serving as service animal shot, killed in Powell incident
KOTA News
Oct 15, 2015

Photos show Matthew Bessler and the Belgian Malinois named Mike serving in Iraq.

(photos courtesy Matthew Bessler)

POWELL, Wyo. (AP) — An Army veteran is asking for a burial with military honors for his service dog that was shot and killed outside Powell.

The Powell Tribune reports that Matthew Bessler's 10-year-old Belgian Malinois named Mike was shot and killed Saturday by a bicyclist who says the dog attacked him.

Mike served with Bessler in Iraq in the U.S. Army, with Nike acting as a combat dog and in bomb detection. When the pair returned from their deployment, Bessler adopted Mike. The dog helped Bessler transition from combat to normal life as he suffered post-traumatic stress disorder.
read more here

Afghanistan Veteran Marine Gets Back Dog

Why a Capitol Police Officer gave her beloved dog to a U.S. Marine 
CBS 6 News
BY WEB STAFF
FEBRUARY 12, 2015

RICHMOND, Va. – Spike is a member of the K-9 patrol with the Virginia Capitol Police. Sweet as he is though, Spike, is also a heartbreaker.

He didn’t mean to be – he just got caught in a love triangle. At the State Capitol in Richmond on Wednesday Spike was reunited with U.S. Marine Jared Heine.

They hadn’t seen each other in three years. “Right when he got next to me he knew it was me,” said Heine. “He pushed up against me. It was like we didn’t skip a beat.”

They were a team in Afghanistan where Spike’s job was to sniff out bombs – risking his life every day to keep Heine and his buddies alive.

“He did a great job at it,” Heine told me.

“He was like my brother, my kid. He slept with me every day like we were inseparable.”

But after a series of traumatic brain injuries, Jared was sent home to Louisiana — where he’s been struggling with post-traumatic stress disorder.
read more here

Gloucester Sheriff Recruit 5 Year Old Afghanistan Veteran

K-9 recruit joins Gloucester County Sheriff's Office 
Daily Press
Frances Hubbard
February 5, 2015

The newest recruit to join the Gloucester County Sheriff's Office has four legs and a nose for crime.

Rexi, a seemingly curious and fun-loving 5-year-old sable German shepherd with an intimidating presence when needed, recently joined the ranks alongside Sgt. Brad Simmons thanks to a grant from K9s4Cops, a program run by a Texas-based nonprofit organization.

Gloucester Sheriff Darrell Warren said Rexi is the first police dog the sheriff's office has had since the mid-'90s. Rexi previously spent three years with the military in Afghanistan.
The grant process took about 22 months, Warren said.

"He's originally from Holland and after he was trained at the age of two he went to Afghanistan for three years supporting the military in both patrol and narcotics work. He came back as a surplus dog and rather than be retired, he got donated to law enforcement," Simmons said. "He had to go back through certification training to be certified under the North American Police Working Dog Association as a police utility dog, which means he can do tracking, he can do evidence recovery, he can do area searches and bite work, along with narcotics. He was trained in four different narcotics — cocaine, heroin, marijuana and methamphetamines."
read more here

"War Dogs" shares the bond between combat dogs and soldiers

The tale of a Marine and his war dog torn apart by death
PBS The Rundown
BY MARGARET WARNER
December 23, 2014

Sirius with his new owner, Marine Cpl. Eric Roethler.

Photo by U.S. Navy

Margaret Warner talks with Rebecca Frankel, author of the new book “War Dogs,” about the powerful bond between servicemen and their combat dogs. Video shot by Morgan Till, edited by Ariel Min.

The crucial link for an effective war-dog-and-handler team in battle zones is the psychological bond between the two. They depend on each other for their lives. And if their assignment is detecting deadly IEDs — as it was for many of the 2,500 canines in America’s wars in Iraq and Afghanistan wars — so do every soldier or marine in the unit they lead on foot patrol.

It’s a deep bond based on trust, professional confidence in the other’s instincts and abilities to find explosives, and a personal mix of discipline, intimacy and affection. The bond can take weeks of training to develop and months of battlefield experience to hone.
read more here