A combat tracker handler and his dog play around at Camp Leatherneck, Afghanistan. Retired military working dogs are classified as "excess equipment" -- something advocates are trying to change. Marine Corps
When A Dog Isn't A Dog -- CNN
When an insurgent rocket attack badly injured Cpl. Dustin Lee while he was on patrol in Iraq, his shrapnel-impaled partner, Lex, picked himself up to lie over Lee - an effort to protect him.
"He knew Dustin was injured," said Lee's mom, Rachel. Lex was his bomb-sniffing dog.
Lee didn't survive his injuries, but Lex did - and became a part of the Lee family when Rachel adopted him.
"When Dustin was killed, one of the first things I asked about was Lex, because of their camaraderie. They depended on each other"
Lex, a German shepherd, served in the Marines as a military working dog.
Read more ....
Update: Advocates lobby for military dogs -- Marine Times
My Comment: Dogs who serve with our soldiers are soldiers themselves. This change is long overdue.
