American Humane Association honors military working dogs and their handlers

Via PRNewswire - For members of the military, dogs are their best friends. Dogs keep them safe and can provide company in the face of unspeakable hardships.

Five of these K-9 Battle Buddy teams were honored on Tuesday, March 17th for their bravery and service to the nation at a special luncheon hosted by philanthropist Lois Pope and American Humane Association.

The afternoon’s honorees were Sergeant Matt Hatala and MWD Chaney, Corporal Jeff DeYoung and MWD Cena, Corporal Jonathan Cavender and MWD Maxi, Corporal Nick Caceres and MWD Fieldy, and Army Specialist Brent Grommet and MWD Matty.

For the past year, Lois Pope and American Humane Association have worked to bring home and honor military dogs everywhere. Mrs. Pope and American Humane Association are deeply committed to ensuring that all military dogs are brought home to the United States and given the opportunity to live out their retirements with the brave human handlers who worked hand-in-paw with them on the hot desert sands of Iraq and Afghanistan, and on bases around the world.

With an estimated 2,500 military working dogs and contract working dogs working side by side with soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, the need has never been greater to bring each dog home. The dogs have noses that are 100,000 times more sensitive than humans’, giving them an unparalleled ability to sniff out and detect weapons caches and Improvised Explosive Devices. It is estimated that each military working dog saves the lives of between 150-200 service members.

American Humane Association has long stood beside our two and four-legged soldiers – from rescuing wounded horses on the battlefields of WWI to helping to provide therapy dogs to soldiers suffering from PTSD. And thanks to the assistance of American Humane Association, 21 military working dogs have been reunited with their former handlers in the past year.