Dogs have always been man’s best friend.
We’ve hunted together, dined together, grown together, and most especially, fought alongside each other.
So it’s hard to imagine when soldiers are told not to get too attached to their K9 partners. The bond between man and beast is evident, most especially in times of danger when they have to look after each other.
U.S. Army veteran Jason Bos was partnered with Cila back in 2008.
Cila, or affectionately called CiCi, is a chocolate Labrador retriever and an explosive detection dog. The beautiful hound is good at her job but there was one problem. Cila didn’t listen to anybody. That is until Bos came along.
“No one could work with this dog, and yet, she listened to me,” Bos said to FOX News. “I don’t know why she listened to me. Maybe it’s my inflection, maybe it’s my personality.”
They bonded quickly and worked together well.
Their main mission was to search for roadside bombs and hidden weapons caches through more than 100 missions in Iraq. But besides hunting for explosives, they also did a lot of other missions.
“We’ve done some pretty cool things together,” Sgt. Bos said to WZZM 13. “Secret Service missions for the President and Vice President. We did the Democratic National Convention in Charlotte and we also did the United Nations General Assembly in New York City.”
When they weren’t working, however, Bos spent time playing with Cila in her kennel.
The duo was separated in 2012 when Bos was injured.
The back injury he got from training stopped him from doing things that were necessary for the military. He had to leave and Cila was given to another handler.
Cila continued to work while Bos headed home to Michigan. In that time they spent apart, Bos admitted that he was emotional because he didn’t know if he’d ever see Cila again.
Their partnership was rekindled though when Bos saw a post on Facebook.
The post said that Cila was due to be retired. As her former handler, Bos had priority to adopt the dog. The kennel master at his former base contacted Bos and Bos already knew the answer to his question.
“I couldn’t believe it … I was kind of depressed the last year and a half, so I’m sure she was too.” He said to WZZM 13.
The journey was not that easy, however.
To make the reunion possible, Bos reached out to the American Humane Association and Mission K9 Rescue for help. The organizations covered the cost of flying Cila from Germany to Chicago.
“A lot of these dogs aren’t able to go back to their handler, and I’m one of the lucky ones,” Bos told FOX News.
After a 9-hour flight, Bos and Cila became a duo once more.
She stepped out of the plane and a very excited Bos screamed out her name. Cila quickly jumped on her former-handler-but-always-best friend. She was rolling, and panting, and climbing over Bos. After years of saving lives, Cila was finally home.
“Her whole life has been about working. Now it’s time for her to worry about just relaxing,’ Bos said. ‘It means everything to me.” Bos said to FOX.
No more bombs and missions for Cila from here on. Only couches, balls, treats, and walks with her best friend.
