Having a second chance at life depends on our loved ones’ willingness, desire, and ability to help us overcome every hurdle, difficulty, and obstacle that has made us give up on life, and sometimes second chances depend on our spirit of resilience, determination, and courage to overcome life challenges that it throws at us numerous times. Life won’t stop coming at us so why should we stop going at life too sometimes? In this story of Max, a Dutch shepherd who was a military working dog, both happened to be the case. It’s a story of how determination met love. Just like humans, he served in the army to make the country a better place to live, and he also did not come back home unscathed.
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Being a military dog, he was at the forefront of dangerous situations such as explosive detection, narcotics detection, patrol and sentry duties, search and rescue, etc., and in order to fulfill these obligations, he had to undergo rigorous training such as basic obedience, task-specific training, and so on. And thus, after six years of due diligence to work, he soon developed asthma and had a leg fracture, making him unsuitable to work in the desert, not jungle so he wouldn’t weigh other soldiers down Also, when his handler retired, it was a no brainer for him to do so as well. He was retired and sent to a shelter to hopefully find a new way of life that could help him adjust and adapt.
LIFE AFTER THE ARMY.
For Max, who had lived away from other dogs and civilian humans for a while, it was a struggle to live like other dogs, and people avoided adopting him—”a liability.”. They all wanted a dog that could easily give love, be loved, and be cuddled up with—a dog that was used to a normal and thriving environment.This was his new life—ignored and subjected to a lonely and nonexistent social life—a former decorated sergeant who has often been praised for his bravery and loyalty with medals and salutes from other soldiers. That was his life until one day a man who was later known to be a retired captain himself walked through the door and decided to adopt him into his new home despite his baggage and life challenges, and that became his second chance at life. But problems soon arose when he started becoming jumpy, barking a lot at unusual noises, and always seeming far away from him. He also had trouble adjusting as the sounds of gunfire and explosions still echoed in his mind, and he would often wake up in the middle of the night, ready to pounce into action. He missed the camaraderie of his fellow soldiers and the sense of purpose that came with serving his country. He wasn’t like other dogs wagging their tails or cuddly at all. When his new owner took him to the clinic, the veterinarian soon diagnosed him with separation anxiety and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and his new owner was advised to care extremely for him if he still wanted him. The veterinarian had told the man, “Being this way and even experiencing more is not unusual for a former military working dog; ,he had been trained for that life, and with time, he will be better, he just had to learn that there is more to life than the military lifestyle. He might not become totally like a dog that has been civilian all his life but he sure will be better than before and will adjust to this life. I know you understand more of what I said since you were in the army yourself and trust me when I say it’s even harder for animals with the same experiences since they can’t express or talk about these experiences and emotions with a therapist. They depend on us to understand and help them,I really hope you can give him all the support and love he needs in this journey of rediscovery and healing.”. The captain nodded, signifying he understood the assignment and could give it his all to ensure a better future for Max.And soon, a behaviorist and experienced trainer were added to the team that was to care for him, give him the right medical advice, necessary support, and care for him to cope with and adjust to his current and impending challenges.
Being the resilient person this new owner was and understanding the extent and depth of his traumatic experiences, he began to take him for his sessions and day by day, he started getting retrained and taking lessons on re-socialization to live a normal dog lifestyle, which included learning new commands and cues. Little by little, Max began to warm up to his new lifestyle and this warmed his owner’s heart as well. He was a regular at the vet’s office for both medical and physical reasons but life was becoming good.
NEW ADJUSTMENT TO LIFE.
He was first reintroduced into society when he was made to visit the cancer center alongside his new owner. It was a children’s cancer center, and he was made to visit them, and the children were allowed to pat him and cuddle him. There was a girl who stood out of all the children admitted into the facility and that was Jane. Maybe Jane realized he was traumatized and needed a new purpose in life, just like her. Nobody knows, but she was the closest to him, and they became best friends. When they were stepping out, Sergeant Max was always looking forward to visiting Jane, and slowly, he began to warm up to others and share their pains, and that gave him a new purpose in life. Even though Jane gave in to cancer at the end, Max now knew all he had to do was live and comfort others. When Jane died, he became withdrawn again. His owner and his medical team were worried that he was going to give in yet again, but he soon became bubbly again, as if he and Jane had had a talk before she died, or she visited him in his dreams, or he knew Jane would want him to be happy because she was a happy child despite her medical struggles. No one would ever know, but somehow it made him look forward to the future. Everyone was fine with that.
And also, with appropriate therapies and treatments, Max soon began to feel and play like a normal dog; he even exceeded his medical team’s expectations as he soon began to become vibrant in society. He also met different people from different walks of life with their own life challenges and struggles. Though, he was resistant at first, he started to learn to unlearn his former lifestyle and live a much better life where he would often love and be loved, and that paved his path to change. He was soon playing fetch with his new owner, and when he walked to the park in the evenings alongside his owner, he was making friends with the children and even other dogs. When he barks rigorously now, it simply means a stranger was approaching or he wants a treat.He was now a dog that spreads love and comfort everywhere he goes, thus becoming his new way to serve the community. Who knew Max could become a beloved fixture of the civilian community? The veterinary doctor later told his owner that Max also wanted a new life but he was lost as to his role and how to fit in perfectly amidst so many people and he just needed to get a push from an external force or in his case, a person.When people hear his story of resilience to adaptation and his manner of re-entry into society, they often pat him and feel inspired by this canine hero. Even dogs can make humans feel welcome and seen. He has now learned how to traverse crowded streets, shopping malls, and public transportation, a far cry from the deserts, jungles and battlefields he once knew and was used to. Though he still had nightmares and become jumpy at some point, he had learned that there’s more to life then danger and combat.
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And even though he still misses the adrenaline rush of the army, through love, patience, and support, Max now leaves a happy, quiet, peaceful and fulfilled life and waggles his tail wildly while playing in the grass, chasing after birds, simply exploring and savoring his new surroundings, and taking his medications diligently far away from the cries and tales of war. Max knew that with his new role in society, he can now be a hero to others, willing them to adopt a happier life just like him.
Sergeant Max’s story remains a testimony that with love, compassion and companionship, all dogs can still live a normal life and thrive in new environments regardless of the circumstances or situations they might have been in.