When it comes to adopting dogs, the older dogs and the dogs with health problems are often left behind. These dogs are just as loving as any other dog, but many families don’t even consider them. That’s why the Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio is asking for help.
The Air Force has no problem finding homes for their young dogs that didn’t meet training standards. However, the older dogs that have retired after years of hard work are much harder to home. Some are adopted by their handlers, but there are still many others that need forever homes.
What many people fail to realize is that military working dogs can actually make great companions. Some families don’t even consider adopting one of these dogs in fear of them being too strong or aggressive. However, these dogs are incredibly intelligent, so they are great family members to have around.
Military working dogs have to go through a lot of training for their roles. This means that they’re already well-behaved and well-trained. You won’t have to worry about one of these dogs disobeying you or getting into trouble often. They are also very protective, so they will make your family feel safe.
In order to help adopters feel even more at ease, each retired dog has to go through special tests to make sure they’re ready for adoption.
“Every [Military Working Dog], when they’re retiring, they do a behavioral test and an adoption test to make sure they’re not going to be food aggressive or bite a small child or chase the mailman down the street,” said Master-at-Arms Chief Petty Officer Jason Silvis.
How to Adopt a Military Working Dog
Most of these retired dogs are 10 to 12 years old. So, even though they’re athletic breeds like German Shepherds, Belgian Malinois, and Labrador Retrievers, they will probably spend a lot of time relaxing. The Air Force also wants to take their time to make sure each dog goes to a home that’s perfectly suited for them.
If you would like to adopt a military working dog, there are a few requirements you need to meet. First of all, you should not have any children under the age of 5 in your home. Also, the other animals in your home will need to be a good fit for the new dog as well. Most of these dogs do best with a fenced-in yard and no more than three other dogs in the family.
Before being considered as an adopter, you will need to do an interview with the military. They’ll simply ask you questions about your home and about other dogs in the household if you have them. They also want to make sure you’re able to travel to San Antonio to pick up the dog.
They won’t always have dogs up for adoption since it depends on how many dogs are available and how high the interest is. However, you should definitely keep this in mind if you’re interested in adopting a military dog in the future. Click here to view more information about adopting these dogs.
H/T: wpxi.com
Featured Image: @MilitaryWorkingDogs/Facebook
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