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OneGuy67
05-21-2012, 17:48
From 9News...


BOULDER - Boni spent two years working as a bomb-detection dog in Iraq. She was a weapon against insurgents and their lethal use of roadside and suicide bombs. Thousands of war dogs like Boni have been used in Iraq and Afghanistan on the frontline of the War on Terror. In the end, the exposure to combat situations took a toll on Boni.
"You can see glimpses of her past," Kelly Ross, an adoption specialist at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley, said. "She got out of the military because she became sensitive to noise, so you can really see it when loud noises happen."
"They're not exempt from that, in fact it is well documented that dogs and other animals can experience post traumatic stress disorder," Bridgette Chesne, the director of shelter services and an expert in animal behavior, said.
Boni, a 9-year-old German Shepherd has been at the Humane Society of Boulder Valley for a month. She was living with a family until the environment in the home changed. The family has a young child and Boni became uncomfortable with inevitable sound that comes with a playing child.
The shelter is hoping to find Boni a home in the "right environment." They say a home with either adult children or no children would be best and it would be helpful. Loud noises are upsetting to Boni, so a home where that is limited would be best.
"I took her to a birthday party and we popped champagne for one of my friends and the bottle popping freaked her out pretty bad," Ross said. "A car backfired one time and she got really freaked out and thunderstorms, she gets really afraid in thunderstorms, so my guess is that the Fourth of July is going to be the worst day of her life."
In the right environment, however, Boni is a playful dog who loves to chase a tennis ball and is affectionate. Because of her training as a war dog, Boni is very well behaved and obedient.
Boni does have some medical conditions, including the onset of hip dysplasia and pannus, a common eye condition that requires daily eye drops.
If you want more information about Boni, you can visit their website at: www.boulderhumane.org/animals/adoption/15935308 (http://www.boulderhumane.org/animals/adoption/15935308) or you can call the Humane Society of Boulder Valley at 303-442-4030.
(KUSA-TV

Mazin
05-21-2012, 18:28
Damn I wish I could Bad... Hopefully she gets a great home as well as all of the War Dogs coming home.

10mm-man
05-21-2012, 18:58
Website says she is unavailable or found a home.... YES!

xring
05-21-2012, 19:42
Yay!!!

OneGuy67
05-22-2012, 08:06
Update...

BOULDER - Boni spent two years working as a bomb-detection dog in Iraq. She was a weapon against insurgents and their lethal use of roadside and suicide bombs. Now a 9NEWS viewer has given her a new start. After 9NEWS' story about Boni aired at 5 p.m. on Monday, a Vietnam War veteran came in and adopted her.

I'm very happy for this. This story tugged at me pretty badly.

Slapps74
05-22-2012, 08:15
That's great!

DD977GM2
05-22-2012, 08:30
I so wish I could adopt one of them. They are amazing companions.

Sharpienads
05-22-2012, 12:47
I'm glad Boni found a home with someone who will love her and appreciate her! One of these days I would like to adopt a MWD.

Fentonite
05-22-2012, 13:00
This story did me good. Thanks.

Mazin
05-22-2012, 14:47
Very Cool!

n8tive97
05-22-2012, 16:54
Would replace Tobe with a Veteran Dog for sure. Until I read this I said " I will never get another dog" Errrr changed my mind. I will keep my eye out for one of these hero dogs.

OneGuy67
05-22-2012, 17:12
Yet another update...

http://i828.photobucket.com/albums/zz210/bluebouyz/120522045449_Still0522_00000.jpg


ARVADA - Boni is a 9-year-old German shepherd who served for two years as a war dog in Iraq. Boni was a bomb-detection dog and eventually had to be retired because she became very sensitive to explosions and loud noises.
Eric Letkemann, 63, knows about explosions too. He served as a member of a Navy underwater-demolition team in Vietnam. Now Boni and Eric are a team.

Eric adopted Boni from the Humane Society of Boulder Valley. He and his wife had been looking to adopt a dog, and finding a war dog made the decision an easy one.

"I thought war dog, German shepherd, older dog, couple of health problems, what more do we need?" Letkemann said.

The two share (http://www.9news.com/news/article/268977/339/Boni---the-war-dog---finds-a-home-with-a-veteran#) similarities in life. Boni has some hip dysplasia. Letkemann's right foot is in a walking cast. Both know it is like to be in combat.
"I was in between 20 and 25 firefights during the time I was there. I remember how terrified I always was, and the best thing you can do is try to lay down suppressive fire," Letkemann said.

As a result of her time in combat, Boni is very sensitive to loud noises. Far from the war zones that both dog and dog owner remember, the two now enjoy the quiet of a home (http://www.9news.com/news/article/268977/339/Boni---the-war-dog---finds-a-home-with-a-veteran#). They are two warriors from two different wars - sharing a friendship.

Sharpienads
05-22-2012, 17:29
The two share similarities in life. Boni has some hip dysplasia. Letkemann's right foot is in a walking cast. Both know it is like to be in combat.

This reminds me of my grandpa and his dog. As his dog got older, both he and my grandpa had arthritis and took the same meds for it. Yes, they were meds he got from the vet.

Slapps74
05-22-2012, 21:56
Lost my yellow lab on the 13th of may. Hardest thing I have ever had to do. It is great to be able to give them good loving homes.

KevDen2005
05-22-2012, 22:01
I really want to adopt a military working dog...