When doctors found a golf ball-sized cancerous tumor right below 4-year-old George Rios’ brain, everyone was crushed at his terminal diagnosis, but what crushed the little boy the most was the thought that he’d never get to live out his dream of becoming a soldier in the K9 unit in the U.S. Army.
Five years later, the now 9-year-old George is still fighting his terminal illness, and to honor his fight, the U.S. army is making his dreams come true by officially making George an honorary K9 dog handler, and giving the tough fighter his first mission.
This past December, George was sworn in as an Army K9 handler, and recently the U.S. military, Lancaster PetSmart, LA County Sheriff, and For Veterans Sake Foundation came together to create a scenario where George and his Golden Retriever partner Katie would sniff out a suspicious package to save the day.
George and Katie passed their mission with flying colors and the young Sgt. couldn’t contain his smile.
“He’s fighting his own battle, so what he’s doing, he’s giving us hope and a lot of the veterans that we work with, when they see a little man like this, that only wants to be a veteran himself, it’s gonna give ‘em a light, and something for them to strive for,” Monty Hudson of For Veterans Sake told KTLA 5.
Watch the entire video below to see the incredible moment this terminally ill little boy fulfills his dream of becoming a K9 handler.
Can you believe all of these people came together so George could finally become an army dog handler?
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[Featured image credit: LASD]