The same animal that had stood between soldiers and an attacker now depended entirely upon people to keep him alive.
For the unit waiting for news, he was no longer simply a military asset.
He was one of them.
Soldiers who serve with working dogs often describe the relationship in terms that civilians immediately understand.
Partner.
Friend.
Brother.
Family.
A handler may spend almost every hour of the day with his dog during deployment. They eat near each other, sleep near each other, train together and enter danger together.
Trust is not optional.
A handler trusts his dog to detect threats before he can see them.
The dog trusts his handler to protect him, guide him and eventually bring him home.
Now it was the soldiers’ turn to wait while doctors fought for their teammate.
The K9 survived.
And slowly, painfully, recovery began.
Then He Came Back to the Men He Saved
