Military Service Dog Honored With A Hero’s Funeral

This is a story about Nero, a German Shepherd that served seven years in Afghanistan as a Contract Working Dog, which are highly trained to be patrol dogs or detect explosives. As such, these dogs provide a very valuable service to our soldiers. They also make great companions for the men and women who are deployed, but if you love dogs, you already know that.

Nero passed away on Oct. 26. After his military service, he was taken in by Mission K9 Rescue, a Texas-based group that rescues and re-homes dogs after they come back from their tours of duty. Nero lived with his mom, Judie, for two years, and the pair shared much love. Here are some of her remarks on the Mission K9 Rescue Facebook page:

RIP, brave Nero.

According to LittleThings, Nero had some tough times after his service in Afghanistan. On the way back to the U.S., some type of pressure problem on the plane put him “on the brink of death” upon landing. He was rushed to the vet, where they saved his life. Then in 2014, Nero was treated for cancer.

Upon Nero’s passing, respectful doctors did the proper thing by draping this American flag over him.

Dogs are such a big part of our lives, and it’s important to remember all of the ways our furry friends serve us—whether it’s as a seeing-eye dog, a police dog or ferreting out dangerous explosives in a combat area. That’s why they deserve our respect and admiration (as well as belly rubs, endless treats and romps in the park.)

[h/t: iHeartDogs.com, LittleThings.com]