Can we go yet?
MARINE REUNITED WITH PARTNER DOG IN SURPRISE CEREMONY - “When Gundlach saw Casey, he put his head in his hands and cried. She licked his face, wagging her tail furiously.”
Click here for video of the event.
Marine Sgt. Ross Gundlach served in Afghanistan with his bomb-sniffing partner, Casey. She is a four-year-old Yellow Labrador. Sgt. Gundlach returned to the U.S., but Casey was sent to work at the Iowa State Fire Marshall’s Office. Sgt. Gundlach wanted to adopt Casey and had been campaigning to get her back. Officials set up a fake event at the Iowa State Capitol and reunited Casey with her beloved partner. Here’s more from ABC News:
“I promised her if we made it out of alive, I’d do whatever it took to find her,” Gundlach said.
On Friday, he made good on that vow with help from some sentimental state officials in Iowa who know how to pull off a surprise.
Since leaving active duty to take classes at the University of Wisconsin this summer, Gundlach, of Madison, Wis., had been seeking to adopt 4-year-old Casey.
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“It was a total surprise,” he said. “I owe her. I’ll just try to give her the best life I can.”
His father, Glen Gundlach, seemed just as surprised.
“It’s unbelievable … the state of Iowa, I love ‘em,” he said.
Gov. Terry Branstad officially retired Casey from active duty during Friday’s ceremony, thanking the dog for a “job well done.”
During the 150 missions they performed together, Gundlach said Casey never missed an explosive — she caught three before they could be detonated. He credits her for making it back home safely.
“I wouldn’t be here … any kids I ever had wouldn’t exist if Casey hadn’t been here,” he said.
Casey and her beloved owner are finally back together. Hopefully they spend many wonderful years together. Click here for the full story. Here’s another link to the video. (Photo and additional info from the Daily Mail)
