Military working dogs (MWDs) spend years detecting explosives, apprehending suspects and deploying to combat zones alongside U.S. service members. When their service ends, they need ongoing veterinary care, behavioral support and a safe transition to civilian life.
American Humane Society reunites retired military working dogs with their former handlers and covers the cost of their veterinary care for life. To date, we have reunited 75 military working dog teams, including 12 in 2025.
What Retirement Looks Like for a Military Working Dog
A military working dog might serve for six to seven years. During that time, the dog works in extreme temperatures, navigates rough terrain and endures the physical demands of explosive detection, patrol work and suspect apprehension. Many deploy to combat zones multiple times. Some have over 10,000 hours of training.
By the time they retire, these dogs often carry the toll of years of hard service. Joint and mobility problems, arthritis and hearing loss are common. Some develop anxiety or hypervigilance and struggle to adjust to home environments without the structure and routine of military life. A dog trained to stay alert for threats does not simply switch that off.
The handlers who served alongside them understand this better than anyone. But bringing a retired MWD home and keeping them healthy through their remaining years is not always simple.
How American Humane Society Supports Retired Military Working Dogs
For years, military working dogs were classified as “equipment” and were often left overseas or euthanized after their service ended. American Humane Society advocated for change, and Congress now requires that retired MWDs be returned to U.S. soil, with their former handlers given first opportunity to adopt.
The law does not cover the logistics. Transportation from overseas bases alone can cost thousands of dollars, and handlers often bear that burden. American Humane Society’s Military Working Dog Reunification program removes those barriers by covering the following costs
Transportation
The program covers transport from wherever a dog is stationed, including overseas, back to the handler’s home. Reunifications have been coordinated from bases as far as Hawaii, South Korea, Italy, Japan and Bahrain.
Lifelong Veterinary Care
American Humane Society covers veterinary costs for every reunited dog for their entire lives, addressing the health needs that come with years of demanding service. Joint conditions, dental issues and service-related injuries are paid for by American Humane Society so handlers never have to choose between their dog’s health and their own finances.
Full Coordination
American Humane Society manages the entire reunification process so handlers can focus on welcoming their dog home rather than navigating complex travel logistics.
Bringing Heroes Home by the Numbers
To date, 75 military working dog teams have been reunited through the program. In 2025, 12 retired MWDs came home to their former handlers.
Those 12 dogs include veterans of explosive detection missions at a presidential inauguration, combat tours in Afghanistan and Iraq alongside U.S. Special Forces and security details protecting senior government officials. One reunification required transporting the dog from South Korea to Oregon. Another brought together a handler and a Belgian Malinois who had served together on deployments to Kuwait and Vietnam.
A Permanent Home for the Mission
American Humane Society is expanding its military programs at the American Humane Society Sanctuary in Palm City, Florida. The 15-acre property will serve as the national training headquarters for Pups4Patriots™, the program that trains service dogs for veterans and retired first responders living with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury. The Sanctuary will also host military veteran retreats and provide space for disaster response and animal rescue training.
How to Support Retired Military Working Dogs
Donations to American Humane Society fund MWD transportation, lifelong veterinary care and reunification coordination. They also support the Pups4Patriots service dog training program, which extends the organization’s commitment to veterans beyond military working dogs, and all of American Humane Society’s life-changing programs.
To contribute or learn more, visit americanhumane.org/care-for-our-heroes.
