The Air Force is Pleading with People to Adopt Some of their Retired Military Dogs

| February 20, 2020

Poetrooper sends us a heart-tug article about retired military dogs finding forever homes, and the difficulty the Air Force is having placing them. I’d take one in a second if my health would allow it. Read on, maybe your new best friend is waiting..

The Air Force officials at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland are becoming increasingly worried about their retired partners not finding loving homes.

The lack of interest faced by the retired military working dogs posts their retirement has concerned the Air Force officials so much that they are pleading with the people for help.

They are asking people who are considering welcoming a dog into their homes to think of those well-trained retired K9s too.

Those dogs have worked hard all their lives to keep the nation, its people, and the homeland secure and safe, and they will be a great addition to any family who adopts them.

The K9s can work well with both military members and civilians. However, applicants need to ensure that they have a 6-foot fence, no kids under the age of 5, and no more than 3 dogs already in their homes.

Also, the person must have their vet listed out on the application and provide references.

The authorities have warned the potential adopters that processing the adoption application can take up to 2 years, which is why many people shy away from adopting them. However, it is only to make sure that these skilled K9s are in trusted hands and not misused.

Anyone wishing to adopt one of this loyal K9s can contact the officers at mwd.adoptions@us.af.mil or call 210-671-6766. Please spread the word and help increase the chances of adoptions for our loyal K9 veterans.

Think I see some of the problems are self inflicted, Air Force. I get the kids, fence, other dogs, and vet requirements. But two years? Read the entire article here: Glamorous Dogs

Thanks, Poe.

Category: Air Force, Guest Link, Veterans Issues

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Fyrfighter

Damn, I’d love to adopt one, but I don’t have the 6 ft fence (just 4 ft), and we have 7 dogs already…

Fyrfighter

Yep, foxes are a bit scarce around our place as well. The Pyrenees / Lab mixes don’t take kindly to intruders

Harry

That wouldn’t be Brother Wolf would it? I live near (but never in) Asheville.

Ex-PH2

Well, couldn’t these retired working dogs be retrained as service dogs for old ladies with aching backs?

I ran in to a guy at the FHCC who trains service dogs from rescues. I could probably get him to show me what to do. Dog and me could learn together, have some fun at obedience fun matches, head to the animal grocery store for chew bones, rugs and toys (and cat food) and generally enjoy retirement together. What’s wrong with that?

Hint: you do NOT leave your dog out in the yard alone around here unless you want a canid fight between the dog and the local coyotes! EVER!

Mason

It takes far less effort and paperwork to get an Airman into your home than one of their dogs.

Poetrooper

Yeah, but the dogs are housebroken…

5th/77th FA

Bam! On Target Poe, fire for effect. Another example of why I never have food or drink in my mouth while reading the comments.

Saw a blurb on this the other day, somewhere, with very similar comments in the article. I have the room here at Firebase Magnolia and only have 2 doggos now. That fence requirement would knock me out. I only have one section that is 6
foot, the privacy one, the chain link across the back and the other side is only 5, and the picket fence in the front is only 4. And that 2 year wait. Might could shave some of that off in that I have been vetted by rescue groups already. Would love to give a matched pair of these furbabies a home. And yes they would be spoiled rotten and have a wonderful home. Always had a tendency to spoil women, children, and dogs. It’s one of my super powers. Hell, the more I learned about people, the better I loved my dogs.

I’ll post this to Baby Sister’s in your Spacefacepageofbook, maybe it’ll help. Her high school buddy from way back works with several critter rescue/no kill shelters. Wonder how much gofundme money it would take to put a 6 foot fence around the 15 acres that make up the timber ranch?

Anonymous

Touché!

Fyrfighter

As it should be!

Andy11M

yeah, but the dog won’t go and buy a Camaro at 25% his first weekend at your place

A Proud Infidel®™

You mean like a 12 year old used Camaro with 120+ thousand miles with a fresh cheap paint job from Bubba’s Used Cars at 30% interest?

A Proud Infidel®™

Come to think of it, the Dog won’t get engaged to a Stripper either!

26Limabeans

A dog won’t lie to you either.

Ret_25X

it’s OK to be engaged to a stripper as long as you don’t actually marry a stripper….

SGM’s rules of life #13

BruteLarson407

Damn, 2 years off the back end of a bigger dog’s life is significant! Why in hell would it take them that long? What, do you have to learn fluent German first?

Hondo

The Air Force is the leading example of military bureaucracy in (in)action.

Not that the other services are much better when it comes to such routine matters.

Poetrooper

Hondo, in my thirty-plus years of dealing with the military, I can attest to the truth of that. When I was training someone to market to the military, I always forewarned them to anticipate the worst, totally senseless, bureaucratic lunacy from the blue suits.

Anonymous

True dat.

Mason

I took it to mean that the approval process is two years, not that the dog is sitting there that long. You get pre-approved and then they assign you a dog as they come in.

I hope that’s how it works. Pretty cruel to leave them in the kennels at Lackland for two years if it’s not the case. I remember seeing those kennels and they didn’t exactly give off a homey vibe.

Flakpup

Former AF K-9 Handler and just wanted to weigh in on the 2-year wait-list since I have been seriously considering adopting. Most dogs that leave the field first go back to Lackland to be ‘pool dogs’. Pool dogs are used for training all of the new handlers (better for a green handler to mess up an out-of-use pup than screw up a nice new one). So most retired dogs spend the first bit of their retirement still on the clock; breaking in all the newbies. Don’t know for sure, but it is very likely that these landsharks are still gainfully employed during the 2-year period.

Of course, before the new handlers even touch a dog they need to go through a week of bucket training. Nothing funnier than having to simulate a bucket attack.

Ex-PH2

Well, I might just apply.

I need someone to get the stuff off the bottom shelves at WMrt, bring in the paper, go for walkies with a camera and me in the forest preserve, and enjoy a hot dog with stuff at Sammy’s Hot Dog Stand over west of me. Fun matches at obedience trials, a little Schutzhunding now and then, too, and above all, a bit of security when I”m on a trail with a camera looking for bees and butterflies, but no bullets.
Besides, Punkin needs someone to snooze with on the bed when I’m out foraging or want to watch old Muppets show with company. Couch is available for dogs and cats both. Free dog biscuits and the occasional steak bone for chewing included.

Sabre22

The fence requirement rules me out as well we currently have 4 foot chain link. Have to check into getting it raised to 6 foot. I wanted to adopt a Malinois and they said the same thing 6 foot fence required.

Graybeard

Too many small grandkids to qualify – and hoping that Airborne Son & Favorite-Second-Daughter-in-Law will be adding to my quiver that the Psalmist spoke of.

My last pup has been gone a couple of years, and I just don’t have the energy to train up a new one.

E-4 Mafia 4 Life

Another stumbling block is the average age of the retired dogs. 10 – 12 years.
German Shepherds: 9-13 years
Belgian Malinois: 12 – 14 years
Labrador Retriever: 12 – 14 years.
A good many large breed dogs won’t make it past 12. Of course there are exceptions.
While a person is waiting up to 2 years to get one, maybe the dog dies of natural causes.
Another issue issue is giving the dog a home knowing there is a short expiration time. It’s difficult to bond with someone/animal knowing they don’t have long.
Someone looking for a companion or service animal might even go further down the rabbit hole after bonding then losing their friend.

5th/77th FA

Welcome Home Bro. daHell you been? Very good points you’ve made. Losing a furbaby is tuff.