Not long ago, Raider was a homeless dog waiting for someone to give him a chance. Now he has a title, a uniformed crew, and a pretty impressive new place to call home. Lieutenant Raider recently deployed aboard the USS Makin Island, where the former rescue dog will serve alongside more than 2,500 Sailors and Marines. Shelter to Soldier announced the milestone with a photo of its former trainee heading off on a mission that would have been difficult to imagine back when he was a homeless pup.
Raider is now a U.S. Navy-designated FIDO, or Fleet Integrated Dog Operator. His job involves considerably fewer spreadsheets than most official positions and a whole lot more tail wagging.
Raider Was a Rescue Dog Before He Was Lieutenant Raider
Raider’s journey began far away from the decks of a Navy ship. Shelter to Soldier previously identified him as a Lab mix who was adopted from Labs and More Rescue before entering training to become a morale dog.
Shelter to Soldier is a California nonprofit built around giving rescue dogs a new purpose while supporting members of the military community. Its programs include psychiatric service dogs for veterans, emotional support animals, therapy dog teams, and morale dogs who work with active-duty service members.
For Raider, that second chance eventually came with a rather unusual career path. Instead of settling into one family’s living room, he began preparing for life with an entire ship full of people.
His journey through the morale dog program was funded by Karen and Jeff Shabel. Shelter to Soldier originally announced that Raider would be trained specifically to join the USS Makin Island.
Becoming a Ship Dog Takes Some Serious Training
Being adorable certainly doesn’t hurt, but Raider wasn’t handed his new job simply because he has an excellent face. Morale dogs have to learn how to function comfortably in an environment unlike almost anything an ordinary pet encounters.
Shelter to Soldier says its morale dogs receive obedience training and learn how to navigate shipboard environments. They’re also trained for therapeutic interactions intended to provide comfort during long deployments, stressful operations, and ordinary day-to-day military life.
Raider even got the chance to practice aboard the USS Midway Museum while preparing for the real thing. His approximately six months of dedicated training included advanced obedience, manners, compression therapy, and learning to navigate ship ladders.
Several members of the Makin Island crew were selected to serve as Raider’s handlers, while his health care would be overseen by the ship’s medical staff. That meant Raider wasn’t simply learning how to live aboard a ship; his future human crewmates were learning how to take care of him, too.
His Job Is Basically to Be Everyone’s Dog
Raider isn’t aboard the Makin Island to perform the kinds of jobs people might associate with military working dogs. He’s there to provide emotional support, boost morale, and give Sailors and Marines something that can be surprisingly difficult to find during long stretches away from home: the uncomplicated comfort of spending time with a dog.
Shelter to Soldier’s Morale Dog Program places specially trained facility dogs aboard Navy vessels and at military installations. The organization says its morale dogs are formally recognized as Expeditionary Facility Dogs and serve within the Navy’s Expanded Operational Stress Control program, which focuses on resilience, early intervention, and reducing stigma around seeking support.
That can make a dog like Raider a surprisingly important member of the crew. A sailor having a difficult day doesn’t necessarily have to make an appointment to sit beside a friendly Lab, scratch his ears, or spend a few minutes remembering the pets waiting back home.
Before Raider deployed, the Makin Island’s senior medical officer, Lt. Cmdr. Emily Deloria, said visiting morale dogs had already been popular with sailors. She hoped having Raider aboard permanently would help reduce stress, provide comfort during long periods underway, and make people feel more comfortable seeking other forms of support when they need them.
From Shelter Dog to Shipmate
There’s something especially fitting about Raider getting this particular assignment. Shelter to Soldier’s mission centers on giving rescue dogs another chance while allowing them to give something meaningful back to people in return. For Raider, that means going from a dog who needed a home to a dog capable of making thousands of people feel a little more at home themselves.
The organization says morale dogs can provide connection and comfort across departments and ranks, making their four-legged crew member available to people throughout the command. Participating ships designate multiple handlers who rotate Raider’s daily care, help maintain his grooming and wellness, and make sure he can interact with people across the ship. That’s quite a promotion for a former rescue pup.
Lieutenant Raider Is Officially on Duty
After all the training and preparation, Shelter to Soldier announced that Raider had officially deployed aboard the USS Makin Island. He’ll now be living and working alongside more than 2,500 Sailors and Marines, bringing what the organization described as comfort, connection, joy, and “a little piece of home” to people serving far from theirs.
The job may occasionally involve sophisticated therapeutic skills, but presumably Raider’s daily responsibilities will also include accepting scratches, appearing at exactly the right moment, and reminding thousands of people that somebody aboard the ship is always extremely happy to see them.
His life started with uncertainty, but Raider now has a crew, a mission, and more shipmates than most dogs could ever dream of collecting. A homeless pup somehow became Lieutenant Raider. And now he’s heading to sea with one very important assignment: take care of his people.
Toledo, United States.