Awww!
Soldier Desperate to Adopt Beloved Bomb Sniffing 'Partner'
Logan Black is a veteran soldier who is doing everything in his power to finally become the proud pet owner of a dog named Diego, whom he met while on his tour of duty in Iraq back in 2006 & 2007.
The lovable yellow lab worked in Iraq as a bomb sniffing dog, and developed a very close bond with Black while they were looking for weapons and bombs together. They were absolutely inseparable -- to the point that they even shared the same bed on some nights. Diego wound up remaining in Iraq with another handler after Black returned home, and he's missed his little friend ever since.
They definitely served as a source of comfort to each other, and now he is hoping they can be reunited, so that Black can officially adopt Diego as his own pet.
Finding his beloved pup was the first major obstacle Logan had to overcome, and through the power of social media, he managed to locate Diego at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas.
Diego is stationed there as an aide who teaches other soldiers to be handlers in combat. And considering how much these two went through together, you'd think that Diego would've been handed over to Black so that they could enjoy a happy life together.
But as it turns out, Black may not be able to adopt Diego until he officially "retires." (Doesn't that just break your heart?)
And what makes things even worse is the fact that both Logan Black and the dog suffer from PTSD after the horrific things they witnessed over in Iraq. Black hopes that by adopting Diego, they can comfort each other once again and help ease the after effects of living in a war zone.
I know there are rules about when and by whom Diego can be adopted, but considering how much they've been through and how long they've been apart, don't you think an exception could be made so they can enjoy a happy life together? Diego may have an important "job," but he also deserves a loving home with a person he shares such a special bond with. It just seems cruel to keep him and Logan Black apart from each other any longer.
Do you think Black should be allowed to adopt Diego?
Image via Dick Howe Jr./Flickr
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Leah Ann Ramsbottom
Danielle Barnes
PonyChaser
It may not be so "mean" to keep them apart. It is possible that Deigo is still very happy and productive in his role as Trainer, and to take him out of that job could depress him. These are very special dogs - they LOVE to work, they live for it. Many, many working dogs - Service Dogs (like Seeing-Eye Dogs), Search & Rescue Dogs, even Sled Dogs (like Iditarod racers) - have 'tells' that an astute handler/trainer will recognize. A dog will "tell" his owners when he is ready to retire. It is likely that he continues to thrive in his job, and has not given those tells yet. But it is good that Black is waiting for him. They will still be able to have a good life together after Diego retires. But for right now, he is extremely valuable, and saving lives, by training other 'green' handlers.
Another thing to consider... if Deigo is, indeed, happy and productive where he is, this allows other active-duty bomb dogs to stay in the field. These are VERY expensive dogs - I heard a local K9 Officer discussing the cost of a Police K9, and the numbers were in the tens of thousands, not only for the cost and food, but for ongoing training. So keeping Deigo around saves money for the Military, until another dog is ready to step into his collar. Yes, that is a secondary consideration to the well-being of the dog, but it still must be considered.
Cindy Wright
GlowWorm889
Considering the time and money it takes to train dogs for bomb-sniffing, I can understand why the Army won't let him have Diego until he retires. And as an aide at a base in Texas, Diego won't be in harm's way anymore. And given that he is now an aide and not in the field, I suspect his time of retirement is close at hand. They were together back in 2006, which means that the dog is rather old by now and likely nearing the time the Army will let him go. It may seem insensitive, but I don't seen anything wrong with the Army wanting Black to wait for the dog to be retired and then adopting him.
TorranceMom
suziejax
WOW I hope so!
Jane Wilson