Nesconset's Paws Of War Aims To Relocate Retired Military Dog

Duke, a military working dog, has been retired, and Paws of War needs funds to bring him home to the U.S. Here’s how you can donate.

NESCONSET, NY — Paws of War, a Nesconset-based organization, is seeking money to help relocate a military working dog back home to the United States, according to a news release.

Duke has been given a medical retirement clearance in his old age, and the organization is on an “urgent mission” to get him relocated back to the U.S. before the holiday.

“We appreciate all the hard work that [military working dog] Duke did in our military and we are honored to help bring him back to the U.S.,” said Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, via news release. “We will need the help of the community to complete this mission, but we are confident people will want to give back to this military dog who gave so much.”

If you would like to donate to help bring Duke home to the U.S., you can do so here.

Duke was specially trained since being a puppy, according to Paws of War. His job in the U.S. military was as a patrol and detector dog. He worked for seven years conducting important searches on vehicles, buildings, and patrol missions. He worked alongside service members in a variety of capacities in the Middle East. His work helped keep many service members safer and assisted them with their missions.

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Duke, a military working dog, could be brought home to the United States by the Nesconset-based organization Paws of War. He is pictured with Petty Officer 2nd Class Adrianna. (Courtesy of Paws of War)

Recently, Duke was showing signs of aging and slowing down, and began having difficulty walking and performing his usual work. He was no longer able to handle the strenuous tasks that he had done for years. He was then approved for medical retirement.

Upon retirement, Duke faced an uncertain future, as none of his handlers were able to adopt him due to their continuing deployments.

“Luckily, he had an angel looking out for him,” Paws of War stated. “Petty Officer 2nd Class Adrianna was stationed on the same base, and while she was never one of Duke’s handlers, she fell for the handsome pup, and wanted to make sure he lived a happy and safe retirement.”

The officer adopted Duke while she was serving overseas, shortly after her first retired working dog died of old age.

“Duke was always known as the crazy one but in retirement he has completely changed,” Petty Officer 2nd Class Adrianna stated via release. “He loves snuggles and constantly getting pets. Duke has transitioned so well into retired life and I cannot wait to allow him to live his retirement in comfort and safety in the country he gave his entire life to protect.”

While Adrianna is still stationed overseas, she is scheduled for heading back to the U.S. soon. A fellow Navy officer suggested Paws of War to her as a resource to help get Duke relocated to be with her. As soon as she reached out, Paws of War’s team went to work and will handle the logistics, and the expense of getting Duke to his forever home in the U.S. The goal is to get Duke relocated as a holiday gift to Petty Officer 2nd Class Adrianna.

Paws of War routinely helps soldiers to relocate rescued pets when they are stationed overseas. To be able to have a successful mission, however, it needs the support of the community. The mission comes with expenses, including travel arrangements, medical care, paperwork, etc.

Many service members stationed around the world rescue cats and dogs and become attached to them. The pets bring them peace and comfort and put smiles on their faces. Paws of War has made it its mission to help get those pets relocated back to America when the time arrives. It has helped many people to get their pets relocated following their deployment.

There are rules and difficult logistics that must be followed to successfully relocate the animals, including medical expenses to ensure that they are healthy, as well as transportation expenses. The donations Paws of War receives from those in the community, no matter how small they may seem, all add up to help pull off successful missions for the soldiers.

Duke, a military working dog, could be brought home to the United States by the Nesconset-based organization Paws of War. (Courtesy of Paws of War)

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At Paws of War, we are forever grateful to the men and women who serve in the U.S. Military. We must do all we can, to extend our hands in time of need to those who selflessly wear the uniform. Learn more about how we are making a difference with our nation's heroes.

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About Paws of War

Paws of War is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) charitable organization that provides assistance to active, retired, and disabled military members. To learn more about Paws of War and the programs provided or to make a donation visit its site at: pawsofwar.org.

This story was originally posted on Patch.com