Behind the scenes of the movie “Max” with a war dog advocate

For thousands of years, dogs have comforted us, protected us, and given us their unconditional love.  And nowhere is that remarkable bond between dogs and people been more critical than on the battlefield.  And today in Washington, DC, advocates for the military and for animals are gathering to celebrate the release of the new movie, “Max,” with director Boaz Yakin.  “Max” is about a heroic military working dog who returns from service in Afghanistan traumatized by his handler’s death. Max is adopted by the fallen Marine’s family and together, they help each other heal.

Folks on Capitol Hill have learned a lot about military working dogs over the past year since American Humane Association hosted a congressional briefing in July 2014.  It was then that the nation began a dialogue on the retirement of these four-legged veterans that continues to this date.

{mosads}Soldiers and Marines have been relying on these four-footed comrades-in-arms since the beginning of organized warfare:  the Romans were known to have used dogs in their military campaigns to disrupt and overwhelm the enemy.  During the Civil War, dogs were reported to have been used to guard soldiers.  In the course of World War I, thousands of dogs were used as couriers.  During the second World War, the Marines used dogs in the Pacific archipelago to locate enemy positions. And in Vietnam some 4,000 dogs were used to lead jungle patrols, saving many lives.  More recently, some 2,500 military working dogs and contract working dogs worked side by side with our soldiers in Afghanistan and Iraq.  And most famously, a Belgian Malinois war dog named Cairo was an integral part of the Navy Seals team that helped kill America’s arch-nemesis Osama Bin Laden during a daring raid in 2011.

Today, military dogs are more important than ever in keeping our service men and women safe.

With 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.

When not keeping our warriors out of harm’s way, the dogs provide our troops with companionship and an invaluable sense of normalcy and home under almost unimaginable circumstances – and they continue to save lives on the homefront, helping our warriors – and their families — heal from the hidden wounds of war.

Clearly a military dog is a soldier’s best friend.

Faced daily with life or death situations, the bond between these dogs and those who work with them is nearly unbreakable.  Yet when our human warriors end their tours of duty and return home, their faithful military dogs do not always follow.

Despite the remarkable efforts of the U.S. Air Force, which has worked hard to bring back most war dogs, too many of our four-footed veterans are left behind on foreign soil and never again see their human Battle Buddies with whom they went through so much.

The problem is that if dogs are retired overseas, they become civilians and are no longer qualified to travel home on military vehicles – creating an often insurmountable barrier to getting them home to the ones who care for them most.

To change this, American Humane Association has been advocating for reforms in the National Defense Authorization Act to ensure that military working dogs are retired on U.S. soil and that handlers and their families get first priority on adopting them. 

Specifically, in the 2016 NDAA Sec 371, the insertion of subsection (f) addresses the issue that “the Secretary may transfer the dog.” The intent here is to do away with the “may” language and replace with “shall” transfer the dogs to the U.S. or the adopting handler’s location, should he/she decide to remain near their base in a foreign country.  Specific language giving adoption priority to handlers and their families is now included in both the House and Senate bills.

Our language has passed the House and is now being discussed in the Senate.  Our gratitude to Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-N.J.) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.) for championing the reforms.

What the movie Max reminds us all about is that these veterans with four legs and fur need champions – in our hometowns and in Congress.  Congress needs to make sure we bring home our four-footed veterans and give their handlers and their families the first priority in adopting them.  It’s about reuniting Battle Buddies, Best Friends and heroes on both ends of the leash.

I believe all our veterans – two-footed and four-footed – should come back to a hero’s welcome, a loving, forever home, and the happy, healthy, and dignified retirement they so deserve after a lifetime of service to their country.

Ganzert is president and CEO of the American Humane Association.