Bomb-Sniffing Dog Reunited With Former Army Handler

After a long search and years of wondering where his best friend was, U.S. Army dog trainer and handler, Logan Black, was finally reunited with Diego, the bomb-sniffing Labrador that he trained and served in Iraq with.

As reported in the Kansas City Star,

Black trained Diego when the dog was about 1 year old and took him into Iraq on as many as 40 missions. Together they discovered caches of weapons buried in the desert, automatic weapons in the homes of insurgents, bombs hidden in the roadways of Fallujah. More than once, he said, Diego saved his life.

After Black left the Army in 2007, he began the long search to locate his former partner and best friend, with hopes of adopting the dog when he retired from active duty. He created a Facebook page that garnered national attention, ultimately leading to a connection.

Logan’s Facebook page, Bring Diego Home, described his journey with the amazing dog, and shared several photos of both he and the dog at work in Iraq. In Logan Black’s own words:

Diego was my Specialized Search Dog partner for just under two years. We deployed to Iraq in 2006 and were responsible for the discovery of over 200,000 lbs of weapons ammunition and explosives. We were both exposed to multiple IED’s (roadside bombs) and firefights which led to both of us suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. When I left the Army in ’07 it meant leaving Diego and it broke my heart.

I’ve now learned that Diego didn’t finish his second deployment due to his PTSD and was declared non-mission capable. Normally this would lead to him being adopted out of the service and priority goes to his first handler. The Army failed to notify me of his condition and Diego was sent to work for the TSA.

I’ve created this page as a means for gathering support for what I anticipate will be a David and Goliath battle and the only chance I have of reuniting with my pup is by putting overwhelming pressure on the TSA.

U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill said in a statement, “Both Logan and Diego have served our country with distinction.” The Senator had a hand in helping Black to locate his beloved dog. And, this week the pair were officially reunited.

Now, the 8-year old Labrador retriever and Logan are relaxing at home together. Black told The Kansas City Star, “He’s sitting on my couch!” He continued, “I feel great. Yeah, it’s awesome. It’s fantastic having him here.”

It’s a wonderful happy ending for a well-deserving hero and his four-legged hero friend. Congratulations Logan and Diego!