After a heartwarming reunion of a man and man’s best friend in April, two battle buddies are headed to New York City to help more military dogs find their way back to their handlers.
To celebrate Veterans Day and raise awareness about organizations that bring human and canine soldiers back together, Sgt. Jason Bos and retired military working dog Cila 389 will participate in the 2014 America’s Parade on Tuesday in New York.
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“It’s just a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be in a parade to support veterans,” Bos, 34, said in a phone interview Friday.
Bos said having the opportunity to reunite with Cila, the chocolate lab he affectionately calls Cici, has been an incredible opportunity and one he hopes other handlers may experience.
“It’s everything. She’s like one of my best buds, my best pals,” Bos said. “I spent almost five years with her, and I didn’t think I’d see her again, so I’m just really fortunate to get her back here.”
Bos and Cila worked together searching for bombs and stockpiles of hidden weapons in Iraq, and screening sites for presidential visits across the U.S.
Their partnership ended when a back injury forced Bos to leave the Army in 2012. Cila was just 5 and still had time to serve, so while Bos headed home to Michigan, Cila remained on active duty. Military dogs work until they no longer can perform their duties, so they often serve longer terms than people.
After nearly two years apart, Bos saw on Facebook that Cila was due to retire. Through the American Humane Association, Bos was able to adopt her. Mission K9 Rescue aided in Cila’s transportation from Germany to O’Hare International airport.
The two reunited there in late April, instantly rekindling the friendship they’d formed while in service.
Kristen Maurer, president of Mission K9 Rescue, an organization that aims to “rescue, re-home and reunite” working dogs with their handlers and other sponsors, said bringing military dogs and their handlers back together can make a lasting difference for soldiers on both ends of the leash.
“These guys, when they come back from overseas, they come back a little broken,” Maurer said. “They’ve seen things we can’t begin to understand. The one thing they want in life is their dog.”
And once the pair are reunited, “you see them relax,” Maurer said. “It’s like a piece of them has been put back together.”
Bos said he has enjoyed having Cila with him in Grand Rapids and thinks she is adapting well to retirement.
“I don’t spoil her, really, but everybody else does,” Bos said.
He said Cila has enjoyed lots of additional playtime, treats and a pillow-top mattress on which she sleeps.
Robin Ganzert, President and CEO of the American Humane Association, said her organization has worked to arrange more of these homecomings. And she said Tuesday’s parade will offer another platform on which Ganzert can show veterans and others what these human-animal friendships can mean to both parties involved.
“This is the utmost representation of the healing power of the bond,” Ganzert said.
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