INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, Sept. 01, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Humane, the country’s first national humane organization, today reunited retired Military Working Dog Fredy, a seven-year-old German Shepherd, with U.S. Marine Corps veteran Nicholas Rice, Fredy’s former handler and best friend, in Indianapolis, Indiana. The pair have been separated for seven months after serving together in Japan.
“American Humane honors the lifesaving contributions of all veterans, including the four-legged military dogs who risk their lives to courageously serve our country,” said Dr. Robin Ganzert, president and CEO of American Humane. “We are thrilled Fredy will get the retirement he deserves, alongside the person who loves him most.”
Rice and MWD Fredy were paired together for a total of nine months at Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni, starting in January 2020. They conducted vehicle searches on planes, cars and boats, responded to explosive threats, patrolled the base, maintained security and applied psychological deterrence. The two were paired because of their similar personalities – both known for being easy going and happy-go-lucky.
“We are so similar, and this helped us quickly bond,” said Rice. “Spending time with Fredy, training with him, feeding and bathing him - it’s the simple stuff that I miss the most and those memories were the hardest thing to let go of when I was leaving. I wanted to be his buddy for life.”
After nine months, Rice moved to a higher position and Fredy was paired with a new handler. Although they no longer directly worked together, they still saw each other every day until Rice left Japan in February 2022. Rice knew he wanted to be the one to give Fredy a forever-loving home once Fredy finished his years of service.
Fredy is now being medically retired and American Humane worked with Rice and the U.S. Military to transport Fredy more than 6,000 miles from Iwakuni, Japan to Indianapolis, Indiana where he was reunited with his best friend. American Humane will also provide for Fredy’s lifetime of veterinary care to make him as healthy and comfortable as possible during retirement.
Rice now looks forward to traveling with Fredy, doing lots of outdoor activities and everything else he may have missed out on while working.
“Fredy loves sticking his head out the window so I can’t wait to go driving with him every day and give him the relaxing life he deserves,” said Rice. “My friends and family can’t wait to meet him. I talk about him all the time – he’s the background on my phone and my computer, and I always tell them how cute he is. Thank you, American Humane, for bringing Fredy back home to me.”
To help us reunite military heroes like Fredy with their former handlers, visit www.AmericanHumane.org.
ABOUT AMERICAN HUMANE
American Humane is the country’s first national humane organization and the world’s largest certifier of animal welfare, overseeing the humane treatment of more than one billion animals across the globe each year. Founded in 1877, American Humane has been First to Serve™ the cause of animals and for 145 years has been at the forefront of virtually every major advance in the humane movement. For more information or to support our lifesaving work, please visit www.AmericanHumane.org, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and subscribe to our channel on YouTube for the latest breaking news and features about the animals with whom we share our Earth.
Attachments
- Retired MWD Fredy and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Nicholas Rice
- Retired MWD Fredy and U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Nicholas Rice
