MWD Derrick&Fritz Adopted and honored on Veterans Day!

Heartwarming photos and videos of our rescued friends.
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MWD Derrick&Fritz Adopted and honored on Veterans Day!

Post by admin » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:27 am

Below is the story of two wonderful Military Working Dogs, Derrick and Fritz. At 11:00 today, Tuesday November 10th, both these dogs will be honored on the House Floor in PA. They are heroes, right along side our human soldiers. Thank you to all who worked together to get these very special dogs to their adoptive homes. Derrick will certainly be surrounded by love for his remaining days......Here is the link for live coverage: http://www.pcntv.com
Once on that page, click on "Anytime" at the top. This will take you to the live feed...
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On October 6th I was contacted by Kim AmRhein. She is a board member of Austin German Shepherd Rescue and a volunteer that I work with. Kim had been emailed by a lady in PA who wanted to adopt a Military Working Dog. Nedra had a big heart and when she heard that Lackland AFB was retiring Derrick a GSD bomb detection dog she said she would adopt him. I say Nedra had a big heart because Nedra was told that Derrick had a very aggresive form of cancer and he only had a very short time to live. Despite the fact that Derrick was so sick she decided to give him a home for whatever time he had left after serving his country for most of his life. Now the hard part. Flying Derrick as cargo on a commercial flight was not an ideal option because of his health and the amount of time it would take him to get to Harrisburg, PA from San Antonio, TX.
Being a pilot and a volunteer with AGSDR I was contacted and asked if it was possible to fly Derrick to PA. I have transported several dogs for the rescue and knew I needed help for this flight. I went to the Pilots n Paws website to ask for assistance. I volunteered to pick up Derrick and fly him to Dallas in my Piper Cherokee 180 if other pilots could help get him the rest of the way. I knew it was going to be difficult because of the distance and number of pilots it was going to take to make it possible. During this time I was told there was another Military Working Dog, Fritz, that was also trying to get to his new home in PA. Now I needed to find transportation for two Military Working Dogs.
On Oct. 19th Derrick and Fritz got the break they deserved. A pilot in New York City was willing to come to San Antonio in a Hawker 800 business jet and pick up these two soldiers and take them wherever they needed to go. This flight was specifically scheduled for them in thanks of their service to their country and their sacrifice in keeping the men and women of the armed services safe.
Unfortunately the wonderful woman who arranged the flight was unable to come to San Antonio but that didn't stop her from sending two fine pilots and a kind caretaker for the dogs. On Saturday the 24th Derrick and Fritz awaited their own plane that would take them to their new homes in a matter of a few hours. When the plane arrived they anxiously boarded the plane and went into their kennels. In Harrisburg, PA they were greeted by their new families. Derrick and Fritz now have no other responsibilites or worries besides being best friends to Nedra and Jennifer.
Many thanks to Kim AmRhein, Nedra Dugan, Jennifer Cox, Sue McCahill, Debi Boies, Karen Ledet, Gena Johnson, pilots Sean and Matt, and especially Margo Walker whose generosity made all of this possible.
Attachments
FritzTodd.jpg
Fritz and his pilot friend and rescue volunteer Todd
FritzTodd.jpg (4.75 KiB) Viewed 662 times
FritzDerrickplane.jpg
Derrick, Fritz and with friends and their first class ride!
FritzDerrickplane.jpg (5.55 KiB) Viewed 676 times

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Re: MWD Derrick&Fritz Adopted and honored on Veterans Day!

Post by admin » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:30 am

More photos of Derrick and Fritz with their new "moms"
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Jenniferfritz.jpg
Fritz and his new adoptive mom Jennifer
Jenniferfritz.jpg (7.73 KiB) Viewed 655 times
NedraandDerrick.jpg
Derrick and his new adoptive mom Nedra
NedraandDerrick.jpg (7.06 KiB) Viewed 654 times

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Re: MWD Derrick&Fritz Adopted and honored on Veterans Day!

Post by admin » Tue Nov 10, 2009 8:42 am

Derrick really loves his new farm and Fritz found his Scooby snacks!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Margo Walker for arranging to have these pups fly back east. Margo, you have the most generous heart and these retired military dogs and all of us cannot thank you enough for all you do!
Attachments
FritzToddAirportK9police.jpg
Kim, Gena, Todd and the Airport K-9 police
FritzToddAirportK9police.jpg (7.87 KiB) Viewed 649 times
Fritzsnacks.jpg
Fritz still on the job but this time he is searching for Goldfish crackers!
Fritzsnacks.jpg (10.72 KiB) Viewed 650 times
Derricknewfarm.jpg
Derrick checking out his new farm!
Derricknewfarm.jpg (15.38 KiB) Viewed 650 times

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