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Our Navy Veterans

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MWD Oreo Z010

MWD Oreo Z010, USN
Patrol/ Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 02OCT2015
Belgian Malinois

He served at Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific and retired in April of 2021 due to medical reasons. Unfortunately, Oreo had to have a spinal decompression surgery in AUG of 2020.

Oreo was much loved by his last handler who was able to adopt him and bring him home, but Oreo was not suitable for a home with small children. We were asked if we could take him into our program.

Oreo is an absolute ham, and LOVES belly rubs! He can be a little grumbly with other people that he doesn't feel are part of his circle of friends.

We love having Oreo here, and hope we can get him swimming soon, making sure that he is mentally happy, and physically as strong as we can keep him.

MWD Hatvan W560

MWD Hatvan W560, USN
Patrol/ Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 13JUN2013
GSD

He served at Joint Base McGuire Dix Lakehurst, New Jersey until he retired in July 2021 due to behavioral reasons.

He does NOT like the vet, muzzling him has to be done very specifically, he has some growing social fear and anxiety, and can be very defensive.

Hatvan is a very interesting boy! He loves to play with his toys, and LOVES food rewards. Due to some of the past issues his prior kennel has had with him, we have tried to keep everything as clear and positive as possible.

The longer he has been with us, the more confident and happier he becomes! He really likes knowing our daily routine and who is coming in and out of the kennels. Whenever I am in the kennels, Hatvan is always watching, hoping I will come over and toss a few cookies for him.

Hatvan is very toy destructive, which is too bad because he LOVES toys! so far, we have managed to find some Ruff Dawg Balls and the massive Goughnut stick (the crazy huge one) have held up pretty well. He has killed a Kuranda bed, kong, Ruff Dawg Square, and the smaller goughnut stick....

With the completion of the dog play yards near, I am really looking forward to spending more time with Hatvan and playing more fun games!

Our Airforce Veterans

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MWD Cage V407

Patrol/ Drug Detection Dog
USAF, Eilson AFB Alaska
DOB-
German Shepherd Dog

After a crazy 24 hours of trying to get on flights and weather delays, we are excited to welcome MWD Cage V407, USAF Patrol/ Drug Detection Dog from Eielson Air Force Base, Alaska, to the Project!

Cage was adopted locally in Alaska in the spring of 2022 to a wonderful family that just loved him! Unfortunately, some Military Working dogs have some personal quirks that can escalate once they get more freedoms and space in a home, and Cage made a bad decision.
His new family worked very closely with the kennels and Cage's long time handler, and for the safety of everyone involved, it was ultimately decided that Cage needed to managed differently. This was a very difficult decision for his new family.

Cage's long time handler flew him down to Dallas, and said he will be so excited to be in North East Texas with all the grass, and to have so many new doggy friends!
We can't thank everyone enough up at Eielson AFB, his adoptive family and his handler for everything they did to work with Cage, and give him another chance to retire, with all of his quirkiness.

MWD Xero V088

MWD Xero V088, USAF
Patrol/Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 21OCT2011 GSD

MWD Xero is from Edwards AFB, retiring on 24JUN2020, almost 4 years to the day that we adopted MWD Zorro P793 from Edwards AFB!

Xero retired due to medical reasons with his skin and with arthritis, and he came to us for those reasons, and for his quirky temperament. He likes to fetch the ball- but no take, only throw!! His days are spent sleeping in his bedroom, listening to his TV. The toy collection that he has growing is turning into quite a hoarding situation.

He has enjoyed his time on the farm so far, his play yard being next to the young Emu's who like to antagonize Xero just as much as he enjoys harassing them. The house cats have also proven to be a highlight of his day when it's time to go play outside, so you better be quicker than he is when they make a run by!

Xero has been adapting to retirement very well! He has had the chance to visit the pool a couple times, he is learning to TRY to not eat the cats and is trying to learn to not be so rude to other dogs.

MWD Xero was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma in February 2021. He has had surgery to remove the mass and has completed all 4 rounds of chemo with no side effects.

Xero had the opportunity to join me at Ft Benning in May of 2022 for the rededication of the War Dog Memorial with the Military Working Dog Heritage Museum. He had the chance to make some wonderful new friends, stay at a hotel for the weekend, and then we took a detour home to head through Florida to see my family. Xero had his first trip to the Atlantic Ocean, Gulf of Mexico, and we even made a quick stop at the Fountain of Youth! Xero was the first Military Working dog my parents ever met.

Even with our move to Texas, Xero once again has taken over the position as Office Assistant, where he spends all day watching me try to work or watch TV.

MWD Ria W194

MWD Ria W194, USAF
Patrol/Drug Detector Dog
DOB 07FEB2012
Belgian Malinois

MWD Ria is from Edwards AFB, retiring on 30JUN2021, almost 1 year to the day that we adopted MWD Xero V088 from Edwards AFB! (We LOVE the Edwards AFB dogs!!)

Ria came to use as a medical retirement, with significant arthritic issues. She also is the surprise momma of who Lackland calls the "River" litter!

Ria is one of the few dogs we get that has a fantastic temperament with people! She loves belly rubs, and just wants to be with her people. She unfortunately also has some separation anxiety, and has been a legend not only at Edwards AFB, but even back at Lackland AFB for being able to climb 8' walls and 6' fences! We built her a special kennel that has a roof and is completely enclosed. The first couple days she arrived, we could see her through the windows looking like a spider monkey, and just climbing her way up to the top to test the top of her kennel! (She has since stopped that behavior). Ria is also very dog aggressive. Sometimes, even with the best personality, it can come with some extra baggage that most families are unable to safely cope with. She is very much loved by her prior handlers, and vet staff.

We are looking forward to being able to spend time with Ria out and about at events as one of our ambassadors!

MWD Arno A318

MWD Arno A318, USAF
Patrol/Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 29MAY2017
Belgian Malinois

MWD Arno is from MacDill AFB and retired in August of 2021.

Arno unfortunately was retired at a very young age due to medical issues that were unable to be resolved and keep him comfortably working.

Mission K9 Rescue stepped up to get Arno out of the kennels when he retired with no handler able to adopt him. He has a Handler that was assigned to him his entire working career, and who loved him very much, but his handler also has a family that Arno was unsuitable to be safely maintained with.

Once Arno was safely with Mission K9, they felt that he was more suited to our program with Arno's behavioral issues that he also was retired with-Severe OCD issues, kennel aggression, and some dog reactivity.

We are looking forward to getting to work with Arno and introduce him to some new fun things to keep him mentally engaged and physically fit! It can be very challenging to take a young, high drive dog OUT of a working environment, and still keep them mentally and physically occupied.

Arno has settled into life here very well and has enjoyed a few trips to some local state Parks and has now been to Texas A&M University as we try to get to the bottom of his mysterious lameness issue.

MWD Eeland Y217

MWD Eeland Y217, USAF
Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 18AUG2014
Belgian Malinois

MWD Eeland is from Seymour Johnson AFB and retired in July of 2021 because of training issues. Eeland was having some serious behavior issues that the kennel felt he would be better suited OUT of the military. Mission K9 Rescue pulled him out, and he was determined to be a better fit with our program due to his behavior concerns, and his past medical history of being a multi time heat casualty. He came to us in August of 2021

Eeland is one of our Lackland AFB bred MWD's! We have been in contact with his foster family, and we look forward to them getting to see him again in the very near future!

Eeland has a history of some resource guarding issues, especially with his toys. So, we went ahead and gave him about 5 different toys he could have with him at all times. When we do things out of his kennel, he gets to take one of his toys with him, and we do lots of food rewards! So far, he is adjusting extremely well, and we really enjoy having him here. There is something about these Lackland bred dogs that are near and dear to my heart..

Keeping him safe in the Texas heat is our number one concern, but we can't wait as the seasons change and we are able to find some fun things to do with Eeland, and see if we can bring out that great puppy he was known to be!

MWD Nero Z594

MWD Nero Z594, USAF
Patrol/Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 19SEP2016
Belgian Malinois

This handsome 6 yr old Belgian Malinois was retired early from Lackland Airforce Base for medical reasons, having injured both of his hind legs requiring surgery.

Nero was adopted to his handler in January of 2022, but recent family changes put his Dad in a rough spot. Nero does not do well with children, and his handler has a little girl.

Because of Nero's very high prey drive, and medical issues, we were asked if we could possibly squeeze him into our program, and squeeze we did.

MWD Nero had one deployment to Saudi Arabia in 2020, AND he has left a little more then his mark on the Military Working Dog Breeding Program, having been the father of SEVERAL MWD Litters.

We have found Nero to have ton of personality, and just a little bit more then a crazy obsession with his KONG bone toys!

MWD John X339

MWD John X339, USAF
Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 25MAR2014
Belgian Malinois

MWD John X339 retired from Andrews AFB on December 13, 2022.

This handsome 8.5 yr old malinois has a bit too much of a selective and sharp temperament to find a home with his handlers. They loved him and wanted to make sure he was well cared for in retirement, but was far from an ideal family dog. So, we were happy to welcome into our family.

Although our initial relationship started a bit rough over the 24 hour drive home, lots of roast beef and Chick-fil-A nuggets later, John unloaded safely and seems to be showing great signs of concidering me as a potential friend!
(Sometimes it starts a little sketchy to prove I am a friend and NOT food )

Over the years, I have found that once we leave the comfort of their home, and their friends and handlers are no longer around to create conflict with their attention, they tend to come around quickly.

John was rumored to not like women very much, and sure enough, just as he started to concider me a friend when we finally got home from Virginia, he realized my husband was an option and picked him as his new best friend! I could go pound sand.

We are really happy with how well John has settled in, and we will be working hard to make sure his arthritis is well managed.

MWD Samu B400, USAF

MWD Samu B400, USAF (USSF)
Patrol/Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 05JUN2017
Belgian Malinois

Samu comes to us from Buckley Space Force Base. He was at Lackland Air Force Base the last 6 months of his active duty service while he went through a TPLO surgery and extensive physical therapy. (Does that make him a Space Force Dog, or Air Force Dog?).

He was retired at only 5 years old due to medical issues stemming from a recent TPLO, and for behavior issues. Samu was a dog that we had been tracking since last spring, knowing he had very limited options and was unlikely to stay active duty.

Samu's personality was not tolorating the military way of life. If he felt someone was being unfair, or if he felt threatened, he started fighting back.

He was very liked by handlers and staff that gave him his space and were careful not to push too hard.

SInce arriving here, Samu has been amazing! He is enjoying his play time, and still adjusting to the lack of expectations now.

We are looking forward to seeing Samu find his inner dog again!

MWD Kent Y307

MWD Kent Y307, USAF
Patrol/ Explosive Detection Dog
German Shepherd
DOB: 22OCT2014

Kent was retired from Eielson AFB, Alaska on 13July2023 for medical reasons.

He was known for being a bit of a diva at the kennel, and for having guarding issues while in his kennel. He was an outstanding working dog, and much respected by the kennel (although, I am under the impression several people weren't TOO sad to see him come home).

His wonderful kennel was able to give him an amazing retirement ceremony (along with his fellow kennel mate) before he flew back south to us. During his ceremony, he was awarded his Military Working Dog Service award in recognition of over 1,000 hours of explosive detection and 600 hours of patrol work, his support of the United States Secret Service, and countless hours of anti-terrorism presence.

He has been outstanding since arriving here at the farm. Kent is very much a momma's boy, and just wants to get all the pets, and to hold your hand with both of his paws.

MWD Kay Z301

MWD Kay Z301, USAF
Patrol/ Drug Detection Dog
Belgian Malinois
DOB: 16FEB2016

Kay comes to us from Malmstrom AFB, Montana!

Kay was unfortunately retired at a young age due to multiple medical issues with his back and hind legs. As he was awaiting his medical retirement, Kay also began developing some significant behavior issues that led him to us!

We are currently working with a behaviorist that knows the Military Working Dog program and have already begun a behavior modification program for him. The good news is he is already trying hard to get himself a cleaner in the head, the downside is he is overly excited to see me every morning and he makes bad decisions sometimes.

I am very excited to have Kay here, and to give him the chance to understand that he is just a dog now, and that there are lots of fun adventures to be had out there.

MWD Sasha A179

MWD Sasha A179, USAF
Patrol/ Drug Detection Dog
Belgian Malinois
DOB:23AUG2016

Sasha came to us from Joint Base Andrews, Washington DC.

Unfortunately for Sasha, for a dog that was a great working dog, he did not have a great temperament and even after multiple attempts of new handlers, Sasha just was too unpredictable. He had a few handlers that really loved him, but they couldn't stay working him forever.

Sasha has the happiest of expressions, but don't let him fool you and suck you in! He might act all sweet and get you lured in to pet him, but then he will randomly let you know he was kidding, and not in a nice way.

One of his last handlers was amazing enough to fly in from being on leave to meet with me, take him to the vet for his last physical, and loaded him up to say good-bye. He gave a great pass down to make a safe and uneventful 24 hour drive home.

So far since arriving, he has continued to be on his best behvaior, and is LOVING the fact he has toys all the time now!

Our Army Veterans

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MWD Tibo D493

Patrol/Drug Detection Dog
US Army, Schofield Barracks, HI
DOB- 30MAY2020
Belgian Malinois

Tibo is a very handsome 2 yr old Malinois that arrived at his first duty station the end of May 2022, and within a few months, it was decided that Tibo was struggling with the way the military did things.

His Kennel Master flew him into Dallas, where we had a crazy handoff through the security passage way. The KM had to make a run to catch the next leg of his flight after a very unexpected 4 hour delay at their last airport.

We had been contacted in September about Tibo, but I had hoped that he would settle in and be able to go back into service or be transferred to another duty station. Young working dogs should be working whenever possible.

Unfortunately, neither option happened, and we got another email on him in November saying the dispo was moving forward and Tibo was out of options.
I have always been a firm believer that some dogs mature at a different pace then other dogs, and that sometimes the needs of the military are higher paced then what some dogs are ready for (like MWD Geza C225 as another example).

Before Tibo really made a bad decision, or someone else made it for him, we said we would take him in.

We will be letting him decompress for a couple weeks, then going to see where Tibo is in his head and what he needs.

He is just a puppy to us, and needs to just take a bit of a break.

MWD Bravo Z384

MWD Bravo Z384, USA
Patrol/ Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 25JAN2016
Belgian Malinois

MWD Bravo is our FIRST Army MWD to come into the program! He retired out of Ft. Bragg, NC in March of 2021. He was unfortunately retired so young due to ongoing lameness issues, and a worsening temperament.

Bravo has adjusted very well and quickly into retirement life! Loves play time, and now even loves car rides! (When he was picked up from Ft. Bragg, he had to be left in the crate and picked up- crate and all- to be put into the vehicle)

He is very much a momma's boy, and runs over for hugs, and gives kisses. If he could just sit in the sun with me, and get pets, his day is made! He is one of the dogs that i hope to start some new games with soon, whether its nose work, swimming or even some trick dog stuff, he is too young to not be mentally working!

MWD GEZA C225

MWD Geza C225, USA
Patrol/Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 21NOV2018 GSD

MWD Geza C225 retired out of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas 13JUN2022. This young and handsome shepherd was an outstanding working dog in the fleet for the Army and had even earned his team a spot in the new Army PEDD-E program (patrol explosive detector dog enhanced). there is a fairly extensive vetting process for the team to be excepted, and Geza and his handler were sent to Fort Leanord Wood in April of 2021.

Sometimes, even with the best scenarios laid out, not all dogs can conform to the type and speed of training that the military requires. Unfortunately, that would be the case for Geza. Once he arrived at the course, he began to show signs of aggression towards the trainer and his handler. there was also an incident involving another working dog that may have contributed to Geza's growing instability. After a full medical work up, and weeks of attempted behavior modification, the team was removed from the course and sent home.

But Geza had reached his breaking point with the military way of life. Multiple incidents with new handlers not only put an end to his military career, but his life would also be on the line. When his Kennel reached out to us, I had been a little hesitant because of Geza's age. Geza should still be working, and I would have to find a way to keep him mentally and physically busy if we could get a good relationship going.

There was something about this dog. His kennel had been trying so hard to get through to him, and good dogs don't just go bad like that. My gut said he was savable.

Since bringing Geza home, we have fallen in love with him! He is always happy, loves to play, and just is wild. I think Geza was just a little too immature for the high-speed program they wanted him for.

I am very excited to start working with him when the hot Texas summer breaks.

Our Law Enforcement Veterans

LE FALCO

Falco (Falco Von Pentavita),
Law Enforcement Dual Purpose Dog.
Ventura Police Dept, Ventura, CA
DOB 20AUG2013 GSD

Falco began his career after being imported to the US in January of 2016. He and his handler graduated from the Inglis Police Dog Academy 18FEB2016. I had found a great article online about Falco, his handler, and how he was purchased through donations for the community. Falco had started a great career, until a year and a half later he began to have seizures. Once Falco was diagnosed with idiopathic epilepsy he was retired from service and adopted to someone in the community.

I received a message from our friends at Woof Project in Dec of 2021. Ventura County Animal Services had a GSD that had been surrendered for euthanasia in October for uncontrolled seizures. The owner at the time did not have Falco on any medications other than CBD oil, which was not working. After getting more information, they found out that Falco had served the community. The shelter Veterinarian fell in love with him and worked very hard to find the right combinations of medication that got Falco's seizures under control by December. Now the hard part would be finding the right home that would take on an overweight German Shepherd with seizures and history of being a police dog and animal aggressive. They had hoped Woof Project may have an option to get him out of the shelter.

On Christmas Day, I left for the 23-hour drive to bail out Falco from the shelter and bring him home. I was very happy that we made the cross-country trip home with no seizures, and we got him immediately established with our vet.

Falco has adjusted great to life on the farm here, and we are happy to say he has only had 2 incidents of cluster seizures since last December (as of August 2022). We have since done as MRI to make sure there was no brain tumor, and his labs came out great.

Our Contract Working Dogs

CWD NELA

CWD Nela
Explosive Detector Dog
DOB 28MAY2016 GSD

Nela came to us from our friends at Mission K9 Rescue in July 2020 as a potential training Foster, but it was determined that Nela had some significant behavior issues that are worsening with time. Nela needs to have her environment carefully maintained, if she feels any kind of pain (even when being groomed) she can become very aggressive. She also has some serious resource guarding issues that we are working with. After meeting with my trainer, and seeing some very bizarre and aggressive behavior, Mission K9 and I decided that it would be in Nela's best interest to remain at The Ddamien Project.

She loves her Ruff Dawg balls, her Nylabone, and LOVES to be in the car. Sometimes she will not get out of the car until you take her for a car ride at least around the block! When she is clear in the head, she loves to be petted, and does the happy dance to play fetch with toys.

CWD VENGER

CWD Venger
Mine Detection Dog
DOB 14JAN2014 GSD

CWD Venger is our first international Contract Working Dog! Mission K9 Rescue was called upon to once again step in and try to rescue and pull a kennel full of dogs that were left behind by an overseas contract company out of Turkey. To make matters worse for these dogs, the US CDC put a ban in place to stop the import dogs. After waiting and fighting for almost a year to get these dogs out and get the care they needed, these Turkey working dogs finally got their chance to a better life here in the US the first weekend in August of 2022.

When Venger was unloaded from his crate, his condition made our friends cry. He was very weak in the hind legs, very underweight and his testicles were extremely enlarged. They reached out to us while they were still at the airport. Having recently dealt with degenerative myelopathy with MWD Mark W118, they were hoping we may feel up to giving Venger the same fantastic care.

Venger, who we have nicknamed Vinny, has only been with us a few days, and was already seen by our wonderful vet team at Airline Animal Health. After a full physical, labs, x-rays, and ultrasound, we have a long-term plan in place to get Vinny into excellent condition. his medical list is a little lengthy, but with his wonderful temperament, we all feel he is up for the long haul.

Step 1- Vinny will have an emergency neuter on the 9th of August. He will remain at the hospital overnight for observation. Because of the significant swelling of his testicles, he will have to have a scrotal ablation which will increase his bleeding risk.
Vinny is heartworm positive, and that means there is added risk to any anesthetic procedure. Since we are suspecting cancer involvement, waiting until heartworm treatment is too dangerous.

Step 2 - Begin heartworm treatment. We will be following the current recommended protocol for heartworms which will include a month of high dose prednisone and doxycycline, then beginning immitacide injections.

Step 3 - Adequan injections. Vinny has hip dysplasia in both hips, but much more significant in his right hip. We are going to work on physical therapy, muscle and joint supplements and get him as comfortable as possible while we treat his heartworm. We will be looking at other options once he is healthier.

Everyone that has met Vinny has fallen in love, and we can't wait to show him the wonderful life he deserves.

Lackland 341st Trainers

MWD Akim T542

MWD Akim T542, USAF
Patrol/Detection Training Dog
DOB 17MAY2011
Belgian Malinois

MWD Akim T542, who was part of the Lackland Handlers course for many, many years, teaching over 37 handlers!

Akim had been waiting for a family to call his own for over 2.5 years. We were asked by the wonderful adoption coordinator, Jerry Britt (congratulations on your upcoming retirement!) if there would possibly be a spot available for Akim when we came to pick up Samu. We made room for him.

He has really enjoyed making friends with his kennel neighbor, Athos. They enjoy singing the song of their people after breakfast, and Akim enjoys doing toys swaps with the other dogs that share his play yard.

Akim did come to us with Chagas, so he will be getting regular echocardiograms, and will be managed safely.

Our Lackland Air Force Base Washouts

MWD (washout) Ice

DOB 12OCT2021
German Shepherd Dog

We welcomed MWD(W) Ice into our program on 08MAY2023!
For those that may not know, that "W" stands for washout.
Ice is the youngest dog we have ever taken in at a very young and happy age of 1.5yrs old. Yep. 1.5 yrs old.

He heartbreakingly is coming to us for hospice care. Just like his only slightly older 'sister' Saci, Ice is also in Liver Failure. His current life expectancy is 6-12 months. (I don't know if they are actually related, they were at Lackland at the same time, and live here together now)

Ice is a very friendly, very happy boy, who is known to love pets and cuddles, and will be missed by his great friends down at Lackland AFB.

Thank you to everyone down there for allowing us to bring Ice home, and let him enjoy his time as normal dog on the farm, hopefully making lots of friends along the way!

PANNI B334

Panni - Explosive Detection Dog
DOB 10JUN2017
Belgian Malinois

Panni was at Lackland AFB at the Dog Training School with the hopes of becoming a certified MWD someday! She went into the program in early 2019. During the certification process, she started showing signs that the fleet may not be in anyone's best interest, as she is very possessive of her toys, and if you take it, she will remember you later, and she does hold a grudge.

She was removed from the program for everyone's safety, but then she sat in the kennels for almost 2 years, waiting for a potential adopter. But there are very few experienced adopters waiting for a dog that was defensive, not a working candidate, and not meant to live in a traditional home in her current situation. There are some fantastic people at Lackland AFB that were trying to go above and beyond with hopes of saving Panni and giving her the chance at finally finding a home.

When I had the chance to visit Lackland in August 2021, I had the chance to meet with MAJ Roache, Lackland's only Behaviorist DVM and MSGT Landrau, the Course Chief of the Military Working Dog Course. They were so amazing to spend the morning with as we talked about dogs, concerns with some of the issues we were seeing on the retirement side, and of course sharing the stories of some of the more legendary dogs that we had been sent at their recommendation (cough, cough, Hatvan). Before we left, the MAJ had one more request, if we could AT ALL, POSSIBLY PLEASE.... can we go look at 2 dogs that had been sitting for almost 2 years that they KNEW could be great in the right place? The dogs were starting to be talked about for euthanasia, for quality-of-life reasons.

We went out to the kennels and were introduced to both Panni and Dexter. Panni was a squirrely female, petite and beautiful. MSGT was hoping I would consider her for a possible sport dog candidate with some time and work. As soon as I seen her, I knew she would be perfect. it was love at first sight.

She was brought home a couple weeks later. She is in decompression phase and working on trust and food rewards for right now as we get to know each other better.

DEXTER B043

Dexter - Patrol/Explosive Detection Dog
DOB 03AUG2017
Belgian Malinois

Dexter was at Lackland AFB at the Dog Training School with hopes of becoming a Military Working Dog in early 2019. He even made it through the detection course! But fate was not going to send this handsome happy boy to the Fleet. During the protection phase, significant outing issues began to present themselves, and it leaked over into detection, washing him totally out of the program.

At some point during training, outing became an issue, and it became such an issue for Dexter he started urinating when people approached him with his reward. which then turned into urinating when he was on odor knowing his kong was coming, knowing the out was coming... that is a big no-no.

So, he was eliminated from the program, to sit in the kennels in hopes that someone could find a way around the peeing problem. It grew into an OCD issue with him struggling to function without a toy in his mouth, even getting to the point he started showing some frustration aggression if he couldn't get to his toy.

Dexter is a Lackland favorite, and much-loved boy! when his kong is with him. He is happy, loves attention (he will pee when you pet him) and just wants to be busy.

We are hoping to get Dexter decompressed from the different environment of Lackland and try to reset his brain a little bit in hopes of getting him able to be adopted to an active home! We are expecting to be in a training reset for several months, or for as long as it takes. He isn't a fan of being crated and loaded in vehicles, so we are going to really try to change that too.

Dexter was one of the 2 dogs that we were asked to please consider taking and giving a chance to. He absolutely deserves it! Not every dog is cut out to be an MWD, but they selected for the program, and they deserve the chance at a different lifestyle! If you ever wanted a ridiculous dog that will make you laugh, this giant ham is the guy...

IZA D384

Iza D384
DOB 12MAR2020
Belgian Malinois

Iza arrived at Lackland 341st in April of 2021 to begin her training to become a Military Working Dog. By November of 2021, Iza began to show signs of a chronic cough when she was being worked. After a couple months of treatments and work up, Iza was found to have tracheal collapse due to collar trauma. She was removed from the program and placed in excess to find a home in January 2022.

With her great attitude and no behavior issues, Iza was able to find a home in March with a very nice military family.

Unfortunately, even though Iza did not receive any formal bite training at Lackland, and no signs of ever acting aggressive, Iza was still a very young Malinois who had been through a lot of changes in a short time. Her new family had lots of kids for her to play with, and she enjoyed going to the dog park. But within 3 weeks of coming to her new home, she found the party over Memorial Day weekend with lots of strangers too much for her to handle so quickly. She was still a young Malinois.

Having a dog with a bite history was an unexpected liability her new family was not willing to take on. So, without knowing they had options, they reached out to a local vet hospital for euthanasia.

Very luckily for Iza, one of the veterinary technicians had heard of our Program and called us to see if we could save a newly retired MWD that bit someone. I immediately asked the technician to please have the family call us and we would be willing to take her right away. The wonderful staff at the vet hospital had the family call us, and Iza was dropped off to us within a couple days.

Iza has done great since her arrival and has become fast best friends through their kennel with MWD Geza. They share toys, treats and play with each other's paws all the time, and take naps back-to-back.

She is now fitted to her own harness and is starting to work on her basic obedience. Iza is always happy, and during feeding time, she can be found doing parkour off her kennel wall!

We may be trying to introduce her to Geza in the dog yards to see if they can be playmates.

Nixe Y034

Nixe Y034
DOB 12JAN2014
German Shepherd

Nixe Y034 joined our Pack on 07JAN2023. She has come to us as an urgent owner surrender for medical care and management.

Her owners adopted her out of Lackland in 2017. Nixe had been at Lackland for 2 years on medical hold becaues of extensive skin issues, and ultimately was removed from the program after being declaired as an MRSP carrier.

She had gone to the groomers in December, and when she came home, her hind right leg was extremely swollen. Her owners took her to the vet, they did xrays and some bloodwork which showed no breaks.
She was having difficulty getting around, and it was too much for her family right now. She is a big girl!

It's very important to understand that every family deals with things very differently. Her family felt that she needed more care then they could provide, and it's our mission to try to be that help.

We have taken her to our regular Veterinarian, and after doing a needle aspirate and finding suspicious cells, it was decided that the best course of action would be to amputate her hind right leg. Nixe was cleared for surgery after doing xrays, labs and ultrasound.

The amputation was a huge success, with Nixe walking out of the hospital already feeling much better.

Biopsies were sent out and confirmed that the leg was cancerous, a soft tissue sarcoma. There would not have been a way to save the leg, and this possibly removed the cancer completely.

Nixe is now enjoying her new dog friends, and LOVES playing with her toys!

Customs and Border Patrol

Maya, US Customs

Maya - Customs
Narcotic Detection Dog
San Diego, CA
GSD/Belgian Malinois

This 7 year old malinois was retired to her handler in August 2022, and her family absolutely loved her!
Unfortunately, Maya has not appreciated the families very sweet Golden Retriever, and really really would like to maybe have a part time job! (She turned the kids backyard playset into her own personal jungle gym!). We brought Maya into our program on the 19th of September, 2022

Maya is one of those perfect working dogs, that's just maybe ready to slow down from full time work, but still feels better in a kennel instead of a house and working schedule.

Sometimes, especially when you have young children at home, having a dog that's not really ready to settle down and is not getting along with other dog in the home just isn't the best situation for everyone involved. And Maya's Dad wanted her to be happy and safe, before there was an accident.

Maya is actually a dog that I have known and helped care for as a Vet Tech through Miramar VTF for many years, so it is very exciting to see her again, and to be able to be a part of her new extended family!
Her handler is already planning on coming out to the farm to see her in a couple months, and will be stopping by to see her any chance he gets.

She is very very loved by her family, and we will take the absolute best care of her we can!

Special Cases

Athos - Personal Protection Dog

Athos
Personal Protection Dog
Belgian Malinois

Athos comes to us from the Isle of Wight, VA Animal Control.

His dad was a police officer in the area that had suddenly passed away, and then in a cruel twist of fate, his mom was involved in a very serious car accident that left her unable to care for him. Athos's family had to surrender him to the shelter over the summer of 2022.

Athos is a beautiful 7 yr old boy that had been through so much, but with his training, he just couldn't find a safe place to land. We couldn't let his family tragedy take him too.

He has been an absolute joy! Athos likes to tell you about his day, and just bounces everywhere.