Throughout their deployment as military combat dogs, each military K-9 saves about 150 to 200 soldiers by detecting IEDs and hidden weapon caches that would otherwise go unnoticed by their human handler.
However, when it comes time to come back from war, these soldiers and their four-legged partners are often separated at a time when they need each other the most. Staff Sgt. Justin had served on 50 missions throughout three deployments in Afghanistan with his military dog partner Bond, who had spent every waking second fighting, sleeping, and eating together, yet when it was time to return home and transition back into civilian life, the two “battle buddies” were torn from each other.
Rather than help each other heal from the invisible trauma of war, Justin was left to try and heal on his own while Bond was sent to train to become a police dog for the Pine Mountain Police Department.
“Bond has been Justin’s comrade, companion, and only solace at times, for years,” Justin’s girlfriend Sarah said. “I’ve watched him care for and love this dog like a pet and best buddy, for a long time. The one and only time I’ve ever seen Justin cry in my life was the day he had to say goodbye to this dog.”
Sarah had sat by and watched helplessly as Justin struggled to adjust to civilian life and struggled with the pain from being separated with his steadfast companion, and finally decided to reach out to the American Humane Association, which she hoped could help reunite the two.
Finally, after painfully being separated for months, Bond and Justin were reunited for good when the police department agrees to give Bond back to his handler. “Words cannot describe how happy I am, and I am sure if Bond could speak English he would tell you the same. Hey, he might even shake your hand! Three combat deployments together can truly forge a lifelong bond. Bond has been my best buddy during those times,” Justin said. “It means a lot that I can now give him the relaxing life he has earned.”
“It was the right thing to do. We can obtain a new dog. They funded that project for us. Anything we can do to give back to the community, especially as police officers and steward of this community that’s something we decided together to do,” Lt. Daniel Ferrone said.
Watch the entire video below to see this emotional reunion.
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[Featured image credit: American Humane Association]
This Hero Soldier Was Finally Reunited With His K-9 Partner After Being Painfully Separated For Months is an article from: LifeDaily