There are dogs — Belgian Malinois, German shepherds, pointers, retrievers — who are shipped overseas to work in several different capacities.
Many of them are bite trained.
They live in kennels, their social interactions limited to what they gain from their handlers.
Then they lose their drive to work. They don’t get to punch the clock at 65 and say, “Yo, bro, I’m out. I’m going home to get my Social Security check.”
They just have to lose their will to do the job.
Then they often get discarded. Much like a football or hockey player who blows his knee and can’t play anymore.
Bob Bryant is the chief technology officer at Mission K9 Rescue, an animal welfare group that is dedicated to rescuing, rehabilitating and rehoming these working dogs.
Today, Bob and I have a lively discussion about helping these dogs, how quickly they’re willing to become couch potatoes and why you might want to adopt one of these dogs.
Since 2013, Mission K9 Rescue has helped working dogs find a comfortable, peaceful retirement.
I think you know by now that I believe every dog deserves the love of a good human and these retired working dogs, in particular, have given their lives to service.
They deserve all the scritches, snuggles and bacon.
Of course, bacon.
What to listen for
2:00 Mission K9’s mission
7:23 When working dogs retire
14:01 Adopting a retired working dog
23:15 How this work has been life-changing for Bob
26:21 How to adopt a retired working dog
Where to find Mission K9 Rescue
MissionK9Rescue.org
Donate to Mission K9 Rescue
Facebook
Instagram
Angela Schneider
Hi, and welcome back to one last network. This is episode 27. The art of becoming a couch potato. There are dogs Belgian Malinois was German Shepherds, pointers retrievers, who are shipped overseas to work in several different capacities. Many of them are bite trained. They live in kennels, their social interactions limited to what they gained from their handlers. And they lose their drive to work. They don’t get to punch the clock at 65 and say, Yo, bro, I’m out. I’m going home to get my Social Security check. They just have to lose their will to do the job. Then they often get discarded, much like a football or hockey player who blows his knee and can’t play anymore. Bob Brandt is the Chief Technology Officer at Mission canine rescue, an animal welfare group that is dedicated to rescuing rehabilitating and rehoming these working dogs. Today, Bob and I have a lively discussion about helping these dogs, how quickly they’re willing to become couch potatoes, and why you might want to adopt one of these dogs. Have a listen. Hello and welcome Bob Bryant to one last network. I want to congratulate you on being the first male voice to hit our podcast.
Bob
All right, let’s say should I should I put on a bulletproof vest?
Angela Schneider
No know we’re pretty easy going around here. Why don’t we get started with you telling us a little bit about mission canine and who you are?
Bob
Sure be glad to. My name is Bob Brian, as you’ve obviously ascertained already from the eloquent introduction I received. My official title which is not worth a quarter is Chief Technology Officer and development director. That means that I’m the guy that’s stuck and responsible for making sure everybody gets paid, and that the organization fulfills its mission to as many dogs as possible, which are doing at a 92% Spend toward our mission. Just eight cents out of every dollar goes to something other than the dogs, Mission canine brains working dogs of all types home from around the globe, predominantly military working dogs that are retired and need trips home to their handlers. The government doesn’t automatically just bring a dog home at the end of its career. And often if its handler wants to adopt could have up to five handlers. During IT service. They would have to be responsible for the cost of transport from abroad. And from a place like Japan that’s $6,000. Guam, it’s around $7,000. No Corporal has that kind of money. We can get more into that in a minute. But we also rescue contract working dogs which often assist and aid our military or private companies. And they are owned by private firms, not by the government. We also work with the TSA with some of their import dogs and also Customs and Border Protection, Customs and Border Protection, as well as a lot of police canines. When they retire. we center our work on these things. We rescue dogs, we’ve rescued over 1300 from every corner of the world in the last 10 years. We’ve reunited over 650 of those dogs with handlers that they served with. We will rehome any working dog that is suitable for adoption. And we find families that are able to meet the needs of senior dogs as well as bring that dog into their house. We will rehabilitate dogs to the best of our ability medically, we will get them as close to if not 100% of possible. We will do training to mitigate the effects of PTSD on dogs that have been combat and other traumatic situations. And we also repair these dogs any vet care they need they get it these dogs are trained like professional athletes all their life and Have we tried to ready them to where they can be adopted and not stick their adopters with massive veterinary bills? So that’s kind of that’s kind of what we do.
Angela Schneider
These are generally dogs of certain breeds, I would imagine.
Bob
Right? Let’s go over the big list. The most predominant working dog in the world now due to its size, and speed, and weight is a Belgian Malinois. They’re lighter, faster, less prone to join issues in German Shepherds and they actually have a higher bike strength. Plus, they’re crazy. As far as what I have on one my God helped me dog will eat the house if you didn’t keep him entertained. Second is the good old German Shepherd. I have a retired canine name navy. That’s a bicolor, German Shepherd. They’re big dogs. They pretty healthy. And then we’ll have a lot of Labrador Retrievers, and then we see German shorthaired pointers, and Springer Spaniels used by TSA. Why do you think TSA uses them and not German Shepherds are males?
Angela Schneider
Those are nose dogs, right? They work on scent. So they’re looking well, Konya. We’re all
Bob
good. They’re all good nose dogs, but why in particular, a Springer Spaniel or a German Shorthaired Pointer. Here’s why I won’t make you I won’t make you think any longer. It’s because they’re not scary looking. Of course, German Shepherd people are like, well, let me wait from that dog or Malin was like my God, get me away from that dog. But now, they’re just they’re benign. One of the smallest working dogs is Jack Russell Terrier. Or do you think a Jack Russell Terrier would work and be very effective in a military environment?
Angela Schneider
I would think again nose work but those they can be intense little but Yes,
Bob
correct. Yes. But where would they do that? Nose work? Drugs? No, no, no. Where would they do it? Oh, location. This is a good one. You have to think about it. What’s got a lot of passages and nooks and crannies.
Angela Schneider
Oh my gosh, I’m drawing it.
Bob
We all live in a yellow submarine. Really? There you go. Yes. Jack when the Jack Russell comes on board, sailors get nervous. Looking for their weed. If they happen to bring if they happen to bring any on board, which of course we know they don’t. Right.
Angela Schneider
Do these dogs aged out? Or are there other conditions that forced them into retirement?
Bob
Unfortunately, well not unfortunately, it would delight me. If they ate them out. I would like to see dogs aged out my nine years old. Unfortunately, what happens is the dogs are only retired when they lose their work drive or when there are lingering costly veterinary issues. That’s when we see them retired. I’ve seen a military working dog that was still active retired at 13. The dog lives six months. You know it just they need some time to know something other than you know that life now. I’m no dog psychologist. I’m not gonna pretend that I can tell you what a dog is thinking. But I bet some dogs would like not to work every day for 13 years.
Angela Schneider
I would think so too. You get tired of that shit. Yes, man. Sometimes a dog just needs to be a dog. These dogs, as you alluded to earlier, they’re often discarded by the military or the organization’s much like a football player who blows his knee. Were it not for an organization like mission canine what happens to these dogs?
Bob
Well, with the military let’s let’s take them out of the potential evil divorce category. They treat their dogs with rare exceptions. I’ve never seen a military dog that came to us with anything less than a medical jacket this thick with it with all the information all their vaccination records everything that have ever been done to that dog. And even though they are maybe Kendall more at the end waiting to be transported to wherever they have the best of care. So the mill, let’s leave them out of the equation. But my problem with the military is they don’t always bring the dog home at their expense. They’re starting to more and more but right now we’re trying to take Get one dog to Korea, and then bring two military dogs back from Korea, my partner is about at her wit’s end, she can’t find any airline that’s willing to transport those dogs, and the military is not going to do it on their own. So that’s my gripe with the government is the lack of support for them. Once we get these dogs stateside, we handle it, we take them wherever they need to go. Now, contract working dogs are the one that I could paste into the colors of suffering. When contract working dogs are retired, or even more frequently, when a contractor has financial instability, the dogs are the first to suffer, they won’t get fed properly, they won’t get any bad care or they’ll be stuck inside a nasty filthy kennel for days on end. They don’t get stimulated, they often don’t get light. And we’ve seen dogs that should weigh 70 pounds come back weighing 38 pounds from contractors. Now are all contractors bad? Absolutely not. However, I wish that people would petition the government to demand and require contractors taking United States based canine assets abroad to have a ticket home for them, and set bonds that are used for their care to where they can’t screw over the dogs.
Angela Schneider
Do they get turned over to rescues? Or shelters? Or do they get turned out onto the street and just forgotten or all the things?
Bob
know most of the time they’re stuck in the contractors kennels there, they occasionally will adopt them for nationals. But most likely they reach out to an organization like ours. And they will they’ll come to us and say, Hey, we’ve got seven dogs, they’re over in Iraq, can you take them? And of course we’re going to take them. So we raise the funds, we get them home or my partners arrange for all the transport. And it’s it’s an overall positive situation. And we try to address any needs they have. When they get in. We just brought home 14 working dogs from Turkey. Every one of those dogs had heartworms Oh 22 Actually, no, it’s $2,800 a pop for heartworm treatments. Wow. Yeah, we spend, we probably spend out of a $2 million budget, we probably spend close to 700,000 a year on that care. Wow.
Angela Schneider
How do you do your fundraising?
Bob
Predominantly through our social media network. Facebook is a main driver, we have 117,000 very engaged fans. And the fact that we’ve been around 10 years, we’ve received some private funding as well, through various grants, trust foundations. We’ve had people leave us in their will. It’s always not always easy, though, when you run an organization that has as high a spin toward our mission, meaning that out of every dollar 92 cents goes to the work. We are often too much nonprofit. And I’ve struggled at the end of a month or two in 2022. wondering, you know, how the Kindle guys are gonna get paid, you know, how are we going to get there, and people always respond. But we don’t send any begging emails or anything like that we just paid to picture for what it is, you know, we need this. Here’s what it’s gonna take. If it doesn’t happen, the dogs aren’t coming home. Will you help? Yes or no or kiss my grits? And they always say yes.
Angela Schneider
What is the stigma that these dogs face when you get them back stateside, and looking for adoptive families?
Bob
No stigma in particular. Let me tell you the bitter reality of it. I would say that 90% of working dogs that come back don’t like other dogs. I know my I know my canine done. He’ll kill an off leash dog that runs up on him. And I have to keep my head on swivels and parks that are supposed to be leashed dogs. There’s always some, you know, person there that doesn’t have their dog on a leash and I have a nice little air horn that saves the day Navy doesn’t like it and other dogs don’t like it. And then I will scream in an owner get your dog on a leash. And then normally, I’m accused of having a dangerous dog and why would I do that? Right. So anyway, now, I think I just skipped over your question and had brain loss and didn’t answer what you asked me.
Angela Schneider
Oh, that’s fine. The stigma that the dogs face. Yes stigma.
Bob
The biggest problem is they’re not dog friendly. And then the majority of people that want to adopt have a house full of pets, they love animals. And so we have to go through often 30 adopters to find one that is qualified to adopt the second biggest problem and a precursor or preclude or to adoption, is that they’ve got to have the money to provide veterinary care as needed for senior dogs. I mean, get up senior panel every year. We don’t want to hear I’m sorry, we can’t afford to take care of that boy, you know, we want them to have the best of care. And we also don’t want them, you know, don’t adopt a Belgian Malinois, when you tell me that you’re going to be away from home eight hours a day, that’s not going to work. So just we have to find the right homes for these dogs. And occasionally, we have too many arc hair, we have that going on at this time. And we just were trying to ramp up our adoption efforts. But with that, without shortcutting any requirements.
Angela Schneider
It can be hard enough for a senior dog to be adopted. But there is a whole different level with these senior dogs who have to be rehabilitated to, for lack of a better term civilian life. How do you rehabilitate those dogs to prepare them for the couch?
Bob
Simple. When they come to our ranch, which is in Magnolia, Texas, we call it the veteran canine Ranch, where we have the dogs in our care there, they are rotated through our ranch house where they learn to be a dog sleeping on the couch, do their business outside. Because generally when we get them, they’re not trained at all. For that they get ready to go. They just go you know, so we teach them where to do that we try to address and test them to see if they are dog aggressive to see if they’re cat aggressive, to see what their triggers are, what things are liable to make them aggressive their bike trained dogs. And that’s another big issue we have is with dogs that are trained for protection. And there is a great need for them. There’s some people here in the United States want to see the end of police canines. Because bad dogs bite people well, maybe don’t run maybe don’t break the law. You know, you want less than lethal that’s less than lethal. I’m sorry, the dog which I’ve been bitten, it’s no fun. But that’s just it. We try to see what their nature is if they’re going to bite out adopters wanting dogs retired dogs to protect them. I’m not going to ask a 10 year old Belgian Malinois to protect me, he is physically and mentally older than I am. It’s just like asking grandpa to go out and fight the bully at school. You don’t want to do that. So it’s adopters having unreasonable expectations of what these dogs will do for them also. And for anybody listening, our dogs cannot be certified as service dogs. Their work is over. There is an indemnity clause signed When you adopt that agrees to all of this. And they the national service dogs organizations are given lists of our dogs. And they will know if somebody tries to adopt one. I mean to certify one and they will report it back to us.
Angela Schneider
So how long does it take for a male or a German shepherd to go from military working dog to couch potato?
Bob
Oh, as much as a week to about three or four months? Some of them just some of them are already couch potatoes. They don’t care. Yeah, no one I’m not retired because he kept lying down halfway through his walks. He was just done. He’s done. Yeah, that’s right.
Angela Schneider
And they know better than we do a lot of the times, don’t they?
Bob
I would think so. That’s correct.
Angela Schneider
Have you always been a dog lover?
Bob
I’ve always had dogs. Yes. Have I always been a dog lover? I would say that until I got into this back in 2011 that I did not have the appreciation of dogs that I cared for. And I have some deep regrets about earlier pets about them being quote unquote outside dogs, you know, not being part of the family or feeling caught up on when I was forced to go walk them. You know, I realized through doing this, just what these dogs are capable of. So you know now I’ve had I’ve had several you and all two military working dogs, one contract dog name and numerous and big Belgian Malinois. And then canine Navy, who we picked up. Three years ago, he was retired early from the City of Long gate, Canada. And in Canada, unfortunately, when a bike train dog is retired, they can be euthanized if they don’t have a partner to go to, and he didn’t. So they reached out to me and they’ll areas
Angela Schneider
is it ideal for the working dog to be rehome to one of the original handlers?
Bob
If it’s possible, that’s absolutely awesome, assuming that handler is capable of providing for its needs, because once you know, we, unfortunately, we don’t have the funds to provide ongoing care and support for the dog once adopted. I wish we did. You know, in a perfect world, well, imperfect world, they’d retire them at nine years old and provide them that care for life and get them homes himself that are a fit, but that’s why we’re here. Don’t do it.
Angela Schneider
Right. It’s it’s got to be difficult on the handler as well to end up being separated from that dog.
Bob
In most cases. Yes, that’s correct. It’s It’s true
Angela Schneider
human animal bond. And there has to be a different level to it when you’re working with the dog in that capacity as well. Yes.
Bob
I find that very true with American handlers, handlers from the United States. I don’t find that as true. With foreign nationals handling dogs say and North Africa, Iraq, Kuwait, Iran, Indonesia, Singapore, Serbia, South Sudan. There is a general disrespect for animals. A newest Star Malinois came to us from Iraq. And he was beaten by his handler because he wouldn’t release his toy. That’s how much he liked it. And so the only way to get it is to either choking him out or baby. So they beat him as a result. He was absolutely terrified when he came to the United States, and just stood and sold himself in his crate when he saw the porters come to take him out. And they called up we just lost our working dog, Nora. And they said, we got this dog Where you taking him? And of course my wife said she would. And He bonded to her like a tick. He didn’t I would say, honestly, he never I don’t think he ever really liked me. He tolerated me. But But he loved her and he would he absolutely drove her crazy because he did not want to be two inches from him at any time.
Angela Schneider
That’s beautiful, though. It was around that level. How long have you been with Michigan canine now?
Bob
We’ve been in existence since 2000. Well run it 13 year I’m sorry. 15 years today.
Angela Schneider
How’s it been life changing for you?
Bob
It’s been a life changing in what I see that I am able to do for a cause that I’ve found that I care deeply about. I’ve learned how to speak to the people I’ve learned how to get them to open their their hearts and their wallets. And to help us to provide the best care for our dogs. Now I have to give Kristin Mauer our president and my co founder, Louisa castlerea serves as our vice president. They’re the ones that are fiscally doing all the work Kristin, especially Louisa manages the ranch dogs or veterinary programs. Kristen hauls these dogs all over the country. And man, she flies into Kuwait to Korea to Spain. She doesn’t get near enough sleep and she has to hear me gripe about it constantly. She will stress herself to the point of exhaustion. She’s about to go nuts right now trying to get these dogs to and from Korea. It’s making her insane. All this while she’s on vacation.
Angela Schneider
Has your mission become more difficult since the COVID pandemic? Because a lot of airlines have changed their rules? Yes,
Bob
yes. It’s been it’s not been difficult in terms of fundraising. We’ve actually had an increase in that. However, it’s a nightmare. Plus, the Centers of Disease Control the CDC didn’t do us any favors when last summer they put the rabies ban from all the hot countries. And so we had to find some creative ways to get some dogs back home and we did it.
Angela Schneider
That’s awesome. What are some of the biggest things you’ve learned from the dogs you’ve worked with or brought home?
Bob
Freely Are some of the they are some of the most intelligent animals I’ve ever had the opportunity to work with. They are intuitive. They are crazily driven to find whatever it is that they’re looking for. My Shepherd now is a drug dog. And he has found heroin for me. He’s found fentanyl. He’s found I keep a Narcan kit with me because you never know. Although our our organization is based and operates under Texas laws. I traveled between Texas, excuse me, Texas and 1000 Oaks, California. And out here, you never know what you’re going to find. It’s very still conservative, very, but there’s some drug activity. And there’s not a week that goes by that he didn’t hit on something like find a crack pipe or some marijuana in a bag or something like that.
Angela Schneider
If you were to convince someone why they should open their home up to one of these dogs, what would you say?
Bob
They will experience one of the smartest animals they’ve ever had in their life. That dog will bond with them. It will become a part of them if they will open their mind and heart to it.
Angela Schneider
And how do our listeners help mission canine
Bob
if you want to adopt visit our website that’s a mission the letter K the Number Nine The Word Rescue Mission canine rescue.org If you want to see what we’re doing currently take a look at some of our reunions. Facebook is mission canine we’re also on that on Instagram under that same name. And you can donate through the website or through Facebook there’s a number of ways and as I mentioned again 92% of every dollar goes right to the work there is no wasted funds whatsoever.
Angela Schneider
And no amount is too small Hey,
Bob
no, I’ve gotten smallest donation I got I got I got a kid sent me 85 cents seriously said please get a dog home a quarter. And I forget like however many dimes to make up 85 cents. I still just I sent him a nice thank you note and what have you. You know we’ve seen We’ve seen donations anywhere from normally from five bucks to you know who knows what we appreciate whatever someone is able to give without any hardship I’ve had. I’ve had welfare recipients call me and say I’ve got this much Leamington in the month, I’m gonna give you this much money. I’m like, No, you’re not going to do it. I won’t take somebody’s $25 If they’re telling me that for the last $25 Their heart is too big. Some cases. Bob, I still make I still make him feel good. Because I know they want to do the right thing?
Angela Schneider
Of course you do. Is there anything you’d like to share that we haven’t covered?
Bob
I think you’ve just throughout hit it at all you’ve done well. We love what we do. We would love for everybody to get the chance to have a retired military working dog. I guess if I have to say anything else it would be this and that’s an adopter. Beware. These dogs don’t have your normal lifespan of a dog you get from a puppy. And because of that, you’re gonna say goodbye way too soon, you may get five years you may get three years you might get a year you just never know because lots of things are working. Even the vets we have checkout, don’t see. But just be prepared and be able to handle the loss but know that that three years will be as good as 10 with another dog that’s not to the level of these dogs.
Angela Schneider
Yes. Well, it’s wonderful way to wrap it up. Thank you so much for your time.
Bob
You’re welcome. Thank you for having me on.
Angela Schneider
Since 2013 mission canine rescue has helped working dogs find a comfortable peaceful retirement. I think you know by now that I believe every dog deserves the love of a good human. And these retired working dogs in particular have given their lives to service. They deserve all this scritches, snuggles and bacon. Of course begin. If you’re interested in helping whether by adopting or donating to the cause, check the links in the show notes for all the contact information for mission canine rescue. Next week, I have a chat with my friend and mentor Nicole Begley. She is the top dog at hair of the dog Academy, an online portal designed to help pet photographers like me run efficient, profitable businesses. But that isn’t what we’re talking about. Nicole recently faced a sudden onset illness with her beloved pup Zoe. We talked about that. A lifetime of accumulated grief from a career in animal husbandry and The healing journey she’s on. I’m Angela Schneider, owner of big white dog photography in Spokane, Washington, and your host at one last network. Signing off to go get some Bella Snuggles. Listen to one last network on whichever podcast platform you prefer. We’re on Spotify, Stitcher, Apple Music, and Amazon music. Don’t forget to hit follow or subscribe so you don’t miss an episode. If you have a friend who might be interested in our content, make sure you share us with them. Thanks for listening.
