All Pictures Courtesy Of Charles Shuck, Gabe Nation.
GABE, a yellow lab facing his last day at a Houston,Texas dog pound, one day before he was to be euthanized, was rescued when a benefactor intervened and took him to the Military Working Dogs Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
GABE's characteristics and keen sense of smell made him a perfect candidate for a Specialized Search Dog that works on command and off leash.
It was there in 2006 GABE met his handler, Army Staff Sgt. Charles Shuck.
Sgt. Charles Shuck quoted,"Gabe was a rock star." With GABE passing his final evaluation in Numa, Az., after five months of training, the new partners deployed to Iraq immediately.
GABE earned the respect of the troops slowly. GABES's first year he completed over 210 combat missions with 26 finds weapons and explosives.
Despite the success GABE would eventually rack up during his time in Iraq, GABE wasn't a welcome presence when he and Sgt. Charles Shuck first arrived. Using an animal to sniff out weapons and explosives was a new concept to the Soldiers tasked to put him to work, and Sgt. Charles Shuck said Soldiers weren't excited about using an animal during already tense searches for weapons and explosives. Sgt. Charles Shuck quoted, "When he's working he's very focused." "When we found a cache of 36 122-mm mortar rounds on the banks of the Tigris River, they couldn't get enough of us. He was the most productive dog in the Iraqi theater during that one-year period."
Because of GABE's valor in combat he earned the 2008 AKC Heroic Military Working Dog of the Year award, and a medal from the United States War Dog Association, just two of the 40 awards and coins of excellence bestowed on him.
On October 5, 2012 in a ceremony including canine nominations from all over the US, the American Human Association voted GABE Hero Dog of the Year.
Retiring from the United States Army at the rank of Sergeant First Class at the age of 9, GABE was adopted by Sgt. Charles Shuck and have been together since July 2009.
All Pictures Courtesy Of Charles Shuck, Gabe Nation.
GABE, a yellow lab facing his last day at a Houston,Texas dog pound, one day before he was to be euthanized, was rescued when a benefactor intervened and took him to the Military Working Dogs Training School at Lackland Air Force Base, San Antonio, Texas.
GABE's characteristics and keen sense of smell made him a perfect candidate for a Specialized Search Dog that works on command and off leash.
It was there in 2006 GABE met his handler, Army Staff Sgt. Charles Shuck.
Sgt. Charles Shuck quoted,"Gabe was a rock star." With GABE passing his final evaluation in Numa, Az., after five months of training, the new partners deployed to Iraq immediately.
GABE earned the respect of the troops slowly. GABES's first year he completed over 210 combat missions with 26 finds weapons and explosives.
Despite the success GABE would eventually rack up during his time in Iraq, GABE wasn't a welcome presence when he and Sgt. Charles Shuck first arrived. Using an animal to sniff out weapons and explosives was a new concept to the Soldiers tasked to put him to work, and Sgt. Charles Shuck said Soldiers weren't excited about using an animal during already tense searches for weapons and explosives. Sgt. Charles Shuck quoted, "When he's working he's very focused." "When we found a cache of 36 122-mm mortar rounds on the banks of the Tigris River, they couldn't get enough of us. He was the most productive dog in the Iraqi theater during that one-year period."
Because of GABE's valor in combat he earned the 2008 AKC Heroic Military Working Dog of the Year award, and a medal from the United States War Dog Association, just two of the 40 awards and coins of excellence bestowed on him.
On October 5, 2012 in a ceremony including canine nominations from all over the US, the American Human Association voted GABE Hero Dog of the Year.
Retiring from the United States Army at the rank of Sergeant First Class at the age of 9, GABE was adopted by Sgt. Charles Shuck and have been together since July 2009.
