When Army veteran Mike Fletcher was stationed in For Huachuca in Arizona, he had the privilege of becoming a handler for a Military Working Dog (MWD) – a German Shepherd named Dasty. Little did he know the journey the two would go on throughout their time together, or how the universe would one day bring them back together.
Now, the pair have reunited and Fletcher has officially adopted Dasty making this one of the sweetest stories of the year.
Though the bomb-sniffing K-9 and Fletcher didn’t bond right away, the two soon learned to trust one another after a deployment to Missouri where they’d complete the Patrol Explosive Detection Dog Advanced Course (PEDD-E) for 60 days. It was during this time Dasty learned techniques like working off-leash—something that would be beneficial to Fletcher in the field.
By 2019, news came of a deployment to Afghanistan and Fletcher had to leave his pregnant wife behind. Dasty, who became the unofficial mascot to all serving there at that time, not only located multiple IEDs and protected soldiers in combat situations, but he also lifted morale with many servicemen hanging out at Fletcher’s tent just to interact with the life-saving pup.
Dasty and Flecther were inseparable for four years, building an unbreakable bond during the 10-month deployment in Afghanistan and numerous Secret Service missions around the world. But in 2022, the two were forced to separate when Fletcher left the Army, went back to school, and moved to another state while the faithful German Shepherd was reassigned to a new handler—one of Fletcher’s comrades.
Throughout their time apart, Fletcher kept up one Dasty’s whereabouts, soon learning the pup was being retired due to old age.
“After Afghanistan and my times with him…they become a part of you,” Fletcher told American Humane—a nonprofit that helps K-9 veterans. “They uplift your spirit when it’s the worst possible times of your life.”
When Fletcher couldn’t get Dasty out of his mind, he reached out to American Humane. He needed help transporting Dasty to his new home with the Fletcher family, which includes his wife and 2-year-old son. The rest, as they say, is history.
On Saturday, October 12, 2024, the heartwarming reunion years in the making took place, and now Dasty is back where he belongs—with his person—enjoying his retirement, too. And thanks to American Humane, Dasty’s veterinary care is covered for the rest of his life, so he and Fletcher can be together, healthy and happy, as long as possible.
“If I didn’t have Dasty in Afghanistan, there’s no possible way to know what would happen,” Fletcher told American Human. “But what I do know is that I did take him and I made it back home safe, and my family and I are very gracious to Dasty for that. And he probably doesn’t even know what he did.”
About military working dogs
Dogs like Dasty have been serving our country for more than 80 years. According to American Humane, there are currently around 1,600 MWDs who use their intense sense of smell to track suspects, sniff out explosives, and detect contraband.
With an olfactory area 40 times greater than a human’s, and more than 25% of their brain dedicated to smell, a dog’s nose is strong enough to detect one drop of liquid in 20 Olympic-sized pools!
Their service is invaluable, and because of that, Experienced Department of Defense’s K-9 personnel are considered non-commissioned officers who are one rank higher than their handler to make sure they’re treated with care and respect.
Dasty deserves to retire in a way that celebrates his impressive contributions that have helped keep our country safe and spending his time with Fletcher makes it that much sweeter. Thank you both for serving!
