When most of us think about the individuals who serve in the military, we automatically turn our attention to the men and women in the armed forces. What you may not think about very often, however, is the fact that there are also dogs who serve in the military and they are referred to as K9s. They work very hard alongside of their human handlers but unfortunately, they are unable to keep their position in the military for their entire life. Eventually, they will be forced to retire.
One of the problems that many K9s face when they are forced to require is the fact that they are unable to get adopted and to fit in with a lifestyle that may be quite different from what they have experienced when they are in the Armed Forces. Many of them are even considered to be unadoptable. That is where Mike Ritland comes in. He is a retired Navy SEAL and he knows how much they struggle so he has made it his life’s dedication to help them.
Ritland runs the Warrior Dog Foundation in Texas and he rehabilitates retired K9s for civilian life. Those dogs are rehabilitated and will eventually be placed in a forever home. It is his goal to help them enjoy retirement as a civilian dog.
He works hard alongside his team to ensure that all of the positive reinforcement is given to help them adapt to a civilian environment. Some of the K9s that come to his foundation have something similar to PTSD, so they have to be desensitized to loud noises, including fireworks and gunshots. It is a slow process.
The Warrior Dog Foundation has been responsible for rehabilitating more than 100 former military dogs. They rely on word-of-mouth help through various networks to find homes for these retired animals. There have been a number of success stories and when you watch the video, you will see what his work means to them: