The United Stated military is comprised of not only diligent soldiers but also valiant dogs. The concept of “leave no man behind” is ingrained in the military culture of the United States. However, this was never really extended to the canines that serve side by side with other military members. Previously, once the dog had finished its service, they would not be transported back home to the United States. They would remain in the country where they served and were either adopted by the local people or military personnel that were living abroad.
This caused quite the stir as many of these canine-human counterparts did not want to part with the dogs that they worked with. Therefore, if a handler wanted to adopt the dog and bring it back home, the soldier would have to pay the shipping cost of bringing the dog back home. As a result, in order to properly thank and be grateful for these dogs’ services, the American Humane Association has decided to contribute up to $6,000 per dog upon its retirement. This sparked a movement that led to a law passing of ensuring all military dogs a guaranteed ride home via military aircraft.