WASHINGTON, Oct. 12, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- A
fearless Black Lab who uncovered IEDs in Afghanistan and Iraq; a pound puppy who became a
Specialized Search Dog and saved countless lives during his 210
combat missions; a Chocolate Lab who protected our troops and
survived deadly ambushes by the Taliban; a four-footed warrior who
was part of Operation Iraqi Freedom and safeguarded 26,000 U.S.
servicemembers; and a brave Explosive Detection Dog who served
overseas on the frontlines of the War on Terror and now protects
Americans on the home front have all been chosen as the 2017
recipients of American Humane's Lois Pope K-9 Medal of
Courage.
The awards, presented at a Capitol Hill ceremony last night, are
the nation's highest honor for military dogs for extraordinary
valor and service to America. They were created under the
aegis of American Humane, which has worked with the U.S. military
for 100 years, and internationally renowned philanthropist and
veterans advocate Lois Pope.
The awards were conferred upon the courageous canines by some of
the country's foremost military and homeland security leaders,
including Marine Lieutenant General Beaudreault, Deputy
Commandant for Plans, Policies, and Operations; TSA
Administrator David Pekoske;
retired Marine Colonel Scott
Campbell, former Commanding Officer of the Wounded
Warrior Regiment in Quantico, Va.;
and retired Marine Corporal Jeff
DeYoung, military dog handler. Twelve members of
Congress and more than 200 Congressional staffers attended the
packed event. B-roll of the honorees and event is available here:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0B_wJI2bXDdTgbzRXZ25XcEg2eHc.
"These remarkable dogs work side-by-side with the men and women
of our Armed Forces, performing vitally important and life-saving
work, while putting their own lives on the line for our country,"
said Mrs. Pope, who conceived and spearheaded the American Veterans
Disabled for Life Memorial, which was dedicated in Washington D.C. in October 2014 as the nation's first and only
permanent public tribute to the four million living disabled
American veterans and all those who have died. "It is high
time that their valiant sacrifices and contributions to our nation
and our men and women in uniform are properly recognized at the
highest levels."
"It is important to recognize and honor the remarkable
accomplishments and valor of these courageous canines," said Rep.
Gus Bilirakis, co-chair of the
Congressional Humane Bond Caucus, which hosted the event. "By
helping locate enemy positions, engage the enemy, and sniff out
deadly IEDs and hidden weapons, military dogs have saved countless
lives in the fight for freedom."
"Soldiers have been relying on these four-footed
comrades-in-arms since the beginning of organized warfare and today
military dogs are more important than ever in keeping our service
men and women safe," said American Humane President and CEO Dr.
Robin Ganzert. "At American Humane,
which has been working with the U.S. military and military animals
for 100 years, we feel it is time to recognize and honor the
extraordinary feats and acts of devotion these heroic animals
perform every day."
Meet this year's medal winners
Military Working Dog Coffee
Most military dogs have anywhere from two to seven handlers over
the course of their military careers. Coffee only had one: U.S.
Army Sergeant First Class James
Bennett. Coffee started and ended her military career at SFC
Bennett's side. The two became partners almost a decade ago, when
Coffee entered training at Lackland Air Force Base in 2006, where
the Chocolate Lab learned to become a specialized
explosives-detection dog.
Together, Coffee and SFC Bennett served three tours of duty in
Afghanistan, working together to
locate lethal bombs and other security threats. Coffee faced
full-on attacks and deadly ambushes by the Taliban, who specially
targeted her because of her lifesaving value to our troops and the
danger she posed to them, but she refused to waver. She never once
failed to bring home all the soldiers she was sent to protect.
Coffee supported her fellow Army comrades off the battlefield, too,
boosting morale and bringing love and comfort to the brave soldiers
fighting far away from home. Coffee, now 13, retired in
December 2016, concluding
nine-and-half-years of military service. SFC Bennett was honored to
adopt his best friend and battle buddy when Coffee retired,
welcoming her into his family, including his wife, Lindsay, and
their three children.
It was Lindsay who first encouraged SFC. Bennett to nominate
Coffee for American Humane's Lois Pope LIFE K-9 Medal of Courage.
Her reason? In SFC Bennett's own words, "Without Coffee, I wouldn't
have come back."
Explosive Detection Dog Alphie
Explosive Detection Dog Alphie worked under some of the most
dangerous conditions during his two tours in Afghanistan, entering and clearing villages
for IEDs, making vital finds of weapons and communications
equipment, and working with our warriors to surprise the Taliban
and take out processing plants for illegal narcotics used to
finance the war against our troops. Alphie and his handler at the
time, Marine Lance Corporal William
Herron, served in Helmand
Province, one of the most perilous areas in the country, and
Alphie had his share of close calls, being shot at numerous times,
and once almost falling out of a V-22 Osprey that was part of a
group of military aircraft under fire. This heroic Black Lab, now
seven years old, retired from military service in 2014, but he
continues to work to keep America safe here at home.
Today, Alphie works as a member of the TSA's elite Canine
Explosives Detection Program, together with his partner and TSA
handler, Lesley Runnels. In keeping
with his previous distinguished service, Runnels reports that this
courageous canine is extraordinarily dedicated, never tiring in his
focus and vigilance. During their three years together, the team
has served in airports across the country—including Chicago, New
York, Orlando, Seattle, Tampa, Denver, and Fort Meyers — joining the 60,000
men and women of the Department of Homeland Security's
Transportation and Security Administration to fight terrorism on
the home front, and tirelessly working to keep us all
safe.
Military Working Dog Capa
Ten-year-old Military Working Dog Capa has been awarded the Navy
& Marine Corps Commendation Medal for meritorious service, was
deployed to Iraq in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom from Japan
while serving as an explosives/patrol working dog, and was tasked
to provide security for four missions protecting the President of
the United States, another
protecting the First Lady, and yet another helping safeguard the
U.S. Secretary of Defense. Capa protected literally thousands of
American troops during his nine years of Navy service as a highly
trained explosives-detection dog. Capa's lifesaving contributions
were essential in providing safety and security for a fleet of a
dozen U.S. Naval ships and 26,000 personnel, including his handler,
U.S. Navy Master-at-Arms Second Class Megan
Wooster. Capa's superior performance has always been the
hallmark of his career and this award highlights nine years of
honorable and dedicated naval service. Capa is now living in
well-deserved retirement with MA2 Megan
Wooster.
Military Working Dog Ranger
Military Working Dog Ranger saved uncounted lives—and risked his
own—in service to our country. The eight-year-old Black Lab bravely
served in Afghanistan and
Iraq, where he worked as an
explosives-detection dog specializing in improvised explosive
devices, or IEDS—the leading cause of death of American and allied
troops in the War on Terror.
While working, Ranger suffered heat stroke and retired from
military service in 2012, finding the loving forever home he so
deserves. Kirk Adams, a retired
police sergeant, and his wife were proud to adopt the four-legged
veteran and welcome him into their Raleigh, N.C., home.
Even though Ranger is no longer on duty and is now battling
cancer, Adams says his work ethic is undiminished: whenever a car
comes down the driveway, whether it's a friend, neighbor or
relative, Ranger is on the case and diligently checks out the
vehicle for bombs.
Military Working Dog Gabe (in memoriam)
A true hero, Gabe was a life-saving Specialized Search Dog who
served our country by completing more than 210 combat missions with
26 explosive and weapons finds in Iraq, saving countless American soldiers'
lives on the battlefield. He passed away in the arms of his
adopted Dad, Army SFC Chuck Shuck (Ret.) in Columbia, S.C, February
13, 2013.
Gabe was a pound puppy languishing in a Houston, Texas animal shelter when he was
adopted and trained by the United States Military. Proving
beyond a doubt that adoption saves lives, Gabe began his service as
a Specialized Search Dog for the United States Army in 2006 and
after three years of active duty retired in 2009 having earned more
than 40 awards and coins of excellence. He was selected as
the American Kennel Club Heroic Military Working Dog in 2008, and
won the top title of American Hero Dog at the annual national
American Humane Hero Dog Awards ™ in 2012
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKkRWDlwn0o).
"Chuck and Gabe became part of the American Humane family," said
the organization's president and CEO Dr. Robin Ganzert. "They were truly a perfect
hero team. Their love for each other, this country, and their
community was genuine. They spent almost all of their free time
volunteering at local retirement homes, schools and community
events bringing cheer, love, education, and compassion. Gabe
exemplified what the American Humane Hero Dog Awards are all about
and I am so proud to have had the privilege of knowing them
both."
After receiving the top honor at the American Humane Hero Dog
Awards, Gabe, a yellow Lab, and Sgt. Shuck traveled across the
country as ambassadors for American Humane serving as advocates for
shelter pets and promoting the importance of the human-animal bond,
a bond they clearly possessed and cherished. Sgt.Shuck recently
completed his Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice and now works
as a member of the 701st Military Police Group (CID). In an
interview, Sgt.Shuck described the special bond he shared with
Gabe: "He's my life. I can't sugarcoat it or sound manly about it.
He's everything," he said. "The dog is with you 24/7. The dog lives
with you, sleeps with you…you're thousands of miles away from home,
you don't have the comforts of home, and your best friend is that
dog."
About American Humane
American Humane is the country's first national humane
organization, founded in 1877. They began working with the American
military in 1916 when the U.S. Secretary of War requested they help
rescue wounded war horses on the battlefields of World War I
Europe. Following World War II, American Humane helped pioneer the
use of animal-assisted therapy to aid returning veterans. Today,
through its Lois Pope LIFE Center for Military Affairs, the
organization works to help active-duty members of the military,
military families, and military animals. For more information,
please visit www.AmericanHumane.org.
About Lois Pope, The Lois Pope
LIFE Foundation, Inc., and LIFE (Leaders in Furthering
Education)
As one of America's leading philanthropists, Lois Pope has positively impacted the lives of
individuals at the local, national and international levels.
She has established three separate organizations dedicated to
helping those in need. These organizations are the Lois Pope
LIFE Foundation, Inc., Leaders In Furthering Education (LIFE), and
the Disabled Veterans' Life Memorial Foundation. For more
than 20 years she has been the driving force behind the Lois Pope
LIFE Center at the University of Miami
School of Medicine, The American Veterans Disabled for Life
Memorial, and a groundbreaking new program with American Humane in
Palm Beach County. Lois Pope has recently donated three Lois
Pope Red Star Rescue Vehicles. Each rescue vehicle is a 50-foot
long response unit, complete with a Ford F-350 truck and trailer,
which is specifically designed and outfitted to provide an array of
animal emergency services and cruelty responses within the
region.
Mrs. Pope recently saw the completion of a decade's long dream –
the American Veterans Disabled for Life Memorial, which was
dedicated by President Obama in Washington, D.C., on October 5, 2014. The Memorial will forever
stand as a reminder to the public and legislators of the courage
and sacrifices of the four million living disabled veterans and all
those who died before them for the need to be vigilant in assuring
their support, as well as being aware of the human cost of war.
More recently, she secured a major victory when, on December 16, 2016, President Obama signed a
resolution designating October 5 each
year as a day for all Americans to pay special honor to American
Veterans Disabled for Life.
The sacrifices and heroism of disabled veterans, past and
present, were chronicled and illuminated in the widely acclaimed
PBS film "Debt of Honor," a documentary conceived, funded and
executive produced by Mrs. Pope and directed by award-winning
filmmaker Ric Burns. She also
conceived, through LP LIFE Productions, the film "VA: The
Human Cost of War," also directed by Mr. Burns, to shed light
on the controversial history and current day problems plaguing the
Veterans Administration.
A mother and a grandmother, Lois has trained for and completed
five New York City Marathons.
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SOURCE American Humane