Please Welcome MWD Adri #357
Please take a moment to welcome retired United States Air Force Military Working Dog “Adri” (D072) as the 357th member to our Project K-9 Hero Pack!
MWD Adri honorably served with the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base, which provides training to Military Working Dogs (MWDs) used in patrol, drug, and explosive detection, to perform specialized mission functions for the Department of Defense (DoD) and other government agencies.
Adri is not your typical Military Working Dog story; she didn’t take down terrorists or protect our President. She helped train many military handlers that, in turn, saved countless lives throughout their careers with their partner dogs.
Adri is a female German Shepherd that was certified in explosives detection by TSA. Her records indicate that she was very energetic, and based on a need by the Air Force, was transferred to the military where she was trained in patrol duties. Due to her being so good with people, she was subsequently selected as a training aid for the students.
Throughout her career, Adri trained at least 12 classes of handlers, with each cohort having 8-12 students. The job of being a training aid can be grueling. Just think of all those brand new students handling a working dog for the first time, and it was her job to allow them to pull her neck and give her possibly incomprehensible commands—sometimes harshly, sometimes tentatively, and expecting her to intuitively know what to do.
At six and a half years old, Adri was diagnosed with "situational anxiety, Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), and chronic vomiting from patrol and training duties" – also known as PTSD. She also had additional medical issues that include anal gland cysts and dental problems that required the removal of several teeth. Because of her frequent digestive issues, she was placed on a special diet. More significantly, she had developed significant arthritis that is greatly affecting her mobility to this day.
After spending several months at Holland Military Working Dog Hospital, Adri was slated for early medical retirement. Most Military Working Dogs are adopted by their handlers, however Adri didn’t have an assigned handler. Adri’s last trainer at Lackland wanted to adopt her, but received orders to Korea, where a pet or retired dog is not authorized.
Adri’s chances for adoption were looking grim, until the Benard Family noticed her adoption announcement. Having just lost their 10yo GSD to hemangiosarcoma in November 2024, they couldn’t wait to meet Adri in person. As soon as they saw her crossed-legged, signature pose in the crate, they knew Adri needed them and they needed her. They visited her again the next day in the hospital where she was undergoing twice daily rehabilitation, and made the decision to adopt her once her medical treatments were completed.
A month later they got the news that doctors had found a growth on Adri’s spleen and had performed a splenectomy. Luckily, the growth was benign, but the rates of cancer in explosive detection dogs are extremely high. Once Adri was released from medical hold, they left their home in Northern Virginia and drove back to Texas to pick her up along with her three inches of medical records. She did great on the two-day drive back, and after some training and a food-allergy test, she is continuing to heal.
For the first time, Adri is learning how to live in a home. Because of her new diet and stress-free lifestyle, Adri is well on the way to enjoying a well-deserved retirement: playing with toys and balls, happily hunting kibbles (treats), and patiently receiving her massages.
We at Project K-9 Hero are honored to be covering her medical needs, appointments, diagnostic testing, physical therapy rehabilitation, and treatment for her arthritis at 100% for the rest of her life. It is the least we can do for her after all she has done for our country! Please take a moment to welcome retired MWD Adri to our PK9H Pack!
Our Medical Fund will help ensure that we always have space for Heroes like Adri. Please donate today to continue supporting our life-saving abilities.
