{"id":106270,"date":"2024-07-05T00:03:25","date_gmt":"2024-07-05T00:03:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/retired-military-dogs-reunite-with-their-former-marine-corps-handlers-after-years-apart\/"},"modified":"2024-07-05T00:03:25","modified_gmt":"2024-07-05T00:03:25","slug":"retired-military-dogs-reunite-with-their-former-marine-corps-handlers-after-years-apart","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lascrucestoday.com\/newstalklc\/retired-military-dogs-reunite-with-their-former-marine-corps-handlers-after-years-apart\/","title":{"rendered":"Retired military dogs reunite with their former Marine Corps handlers after years apart"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Getty Images – STOCK<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

(NEW YORK) — Two military service members — U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Isaac Weissend and Marine Corps veteran Dalton Stone — have been reunited with the dogs they handled in service overseas.<\/p>\n

Weissend and Stone first connected while serving in Japan with one another as military dog, or K-9, handlers. They built a strong bond with each other and became best friends. They also created strong connections with their respective German shepherd counterparts, 6-year-old male Poker and 6-year-old female Aida.<\/p>\n

Poker and Weissend even protected President Joe Biden during a special mission in Korea, where they swept flights, hotels, vehicles, and buildings for explosives.<\/p>\n

“Every day with Poker was a great day,” Weissend said, according to American Humane, an animal-welfare organization that helped reunite the men with their K-9s.<\/p>\n

Both handlers were forced to separate with the K-9s in 2022 when Weissend was reassigned to another base and Stone retired from the Marines for medical reasons.<\/p>\n

“Anything and everything we did together,” Stone said about Aida, according to American Humane.<\/p>\n

The men, who are still friends and live a few hours apart in Texas, learned that Poker, who served as an explosives-detection and patrol dog for four-and-a-half years, and Aida, who had served as a narcotics-detection and patrol dog for four and a half years, were being retired from military service at the same time.<\/p>\n

They immediately volunteered to adopt the retired K-9s and reached out to American Humane for help bringing their dogs from Japan to Texas \u2014 a week-long trip that included five stops.<\/p>\n

American Humane told ABC News in a statement that it handles the complex process of international and national transport of retired K-9 veterans on behalf of their former military handlers who want to adopt them. The group has reunited 60 pairs since 2014, according to American Humane.<\/p>\n

“We’ve reunited dozens of retired military dogs with their former handlers, but this special reunion was still a first for American Humane,” Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane, told ABC News in a statement. “It was an honor to help two best friends bring their other best friends home. All four of these military heroes deserve our gratitude and support after serving our country.”<\/p>\n

The retired K-9s reunited with their former handlers in Tyler, Texas, on May 4, 2024, after more than a year separated. American Humane pledged to cover the dogs’ veterinary bills for the rest of their lives.<\/p>\n

ABC News’ Dhanika Pineda contributed to this report.<\/em><\/p>\n

Copyright \u00a9 2024, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Getty Images – STOCK (NEW YORK) — Two military service members — U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Isaac Weissend and Marine Corps veteran Dalton Stone — have been reunited with the dogs they handled in service overseas. 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