Denise Théberge

A woman on the flight looked at my dog and whispered that he looked dangerous. She asked why a German Shepherd like him was even allowed on the plane. His name is Drake. For six years he worked with Marine Special Operations as a Multi-Purpose Canine. While most of us step back from danger, Drake was trained to move toward it. He tracked high-value targets on missions that could not fail. He found hidden explosives before they could take a life. He was shot twice protecting the team beside him. The scar on his shoulder came from shrapnel in an IED blast in Helmand Province. Bleeding and hurt, he kept working and located four more devices nearby. That slight limp is from the rounds he took during an ambush while covering his handler. Because of Drake, a young Marine made it home to his child. He received a Navy Commendation Medal and a Purple Heart. He is credited with helping save more than forty lives. He has never bitten a person. The only things he ever went after were the threats he was trained to stop. So no, I am not moving my seat. If you want to, you can thank him for his service. If this changed how you see him, comment Drake. I would love to show you the dog he is now — quiet, loyal, and still watching over the people around him.