Video shows military dog reunite with former handler after retirement
The pair first met in 2021 and traveled the world together, "completing two dozen security missions, including assignments protecting Presidents Biden and Trump," American Humane Society (AHS), a nonprofit animal welfare organization, which assisted in the reunion, said in a news release.
"Using Attila's extraordinary nose to detect potential threats, the team protected civilians, their fellow service members, and high-profile VIPs, including Presidents Biden and Trump," AHS said.
Some of those missions included the 2023 United Nations General Assembly Summit, the 2024 NATO Summit, and the Inauguration of President Trump in January 2025.
Need a break? Play the USA TODAY Daily Crossword Puzzle.
Watch Attila reunite with Markert in an emotional reunion
Video footage shared by AHS shows the family, consisting of Markert, his wife, 5-year-old son, 7-month-old daughter and two pet dogs -- Bear, a black German shepherd, and Mia, a Belgian Malinois -- welcoming Attila with cuddles and kisses to his new forever home on May 26 in Colorado Springs.
Attila developed health complications after being separated from owner
When Kameron Markert got reassigned to a new base in Colorado Springs in March 2025, he and Attila were separated after being together for almost three and a half years. When Markert left Fort Meyer in Virginia, he recalled "leaving half of his heart behind."
However, soon after Markert left, Attila, despite being relatively young, was forced into an early retirement due to a series of health complications, including a cancerous tumor on his rear that had to be removed, along with renal and kidney diseases, AHS said.
"Like many German shepherds, Attila also developed hip dysplasia," AHS said, adding Markert had rallied for Attila's disposition "to help ensure his continued health and safety."
When the time for Attila's retirement came, Markert eagerly stepped in with the hope of giving Attila the comfortable retirement he deserved. However, transporting the animal over 1,500 miles from Virginia to Colorado posed a major logistical challenge, especially since the family had just covered a 27-hour cross-country drive with two young children for their move.
From Virginia to Colorado
Markert, who was aware of AHS' military program and knew of other handlers who had successfully reunited with their retired military dogs through the program, reached out to the organization for assistance.
An AHS expert then "personally picked up Attila from Fort Carson and escorted him on a flight to Colorado, where the canine veteran enjoyed his own seat in the cabin of the airplane--all at no cost to the Markerts," the news release said.
AHS said it will also fund Attila's veterinary care for the rest of his life, as part of the program.
Markert also shared that while Attila "has always been exceptionally gentle and tender with his 7-month-old daughter," the German shepherd is "more playful and affectionate" with his son.
"My wife is already 'mama' to him, he is so gentle with our kids, and he loves to play with our other dogs. He fits right into our family," Markert said.
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@gannett.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
South Wales Argus
33 minutes ago
- South Wales Argus
Searches for Madeleine McCann to continue in Portugal
On Tuesday, fresh searches for Madeleine began, as teams drained a well and cleared areas of dense vegetation near abandoned buildings in countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz. Madeleine, then aged three, vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort, after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings. Search teams look through a derelict and abandoned property to the west of Praia da Luz (James Manning/PA) German investigators and Portuguese police officers and firefighters took part in the searches on Tuesday, as teams used strimmers, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris around an abandoned building, and drained a well using a yellow hose. About a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another member of the search team cleared large rocks. Teams dug, shifted rocks and cleared scrub as the work continued on Tuesday (James Manning/PA) The Sun reported that investigators are also planning to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground. It has been variously reported that teams will look where trenches were dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance, at wells, ruins and water tanks, and that there are plans to examine 21 pieces of land. A Portuguese police van driving down a lane near where a search is taking place (Joao Matos/AP) The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police, as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. (PA Graphics) About 30 German police, including forensic experts, are expected to take part in the search, with Portuguese officers, which is expected to last until Friday. The Metropolitan Police said they were aware of the operation but that British officers will not be present. German investigators and Portuguese officers last carried out searches in 2023, near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal in 2007 (Family handout/PA) Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. It was previously searched in 2008, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it, after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was there. British police were later given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished in 2014. Last month Madeleine's family, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, describing her as 'beautiful and unique', before her 22nd birthday, and vowed to continue the search. (PA Graphics) A statement from her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and the family, said: 'The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this.' In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
Western Telegraph
an hour ago
- Western Telegraph
Searches for Madeleine McCann to continue in Portugal
On Tuesday, fresh searches for Madeleine began, as teams drained a well and cleared areas of dense vegetation near abandoned buildings in countryside a few miles from Praia da Luz. Madeleine, then aged three, vanished while on holiday with her family in the Algarve resort, after her parents went out to dinner and left her sleeping in a room with her toddler twin siblings. Search teams look through a derelict and abandoned property to the west of Praia da Luz (James Manning/PA) German investigators and Portuguese police officers and firefighters took part in the searches on Tuesday, as teams used strimmers, shovels and chainsaws to clear the undergrowth and debris around an abandoned building, and drained a well using a yellow hose. About a dozen officers focused on one abandoned building where digging was taking place, while another member of the search team cleared large rocks. Teams dug, shifted rocks and cleared scrub as the work continued on Tuesday (James Manning/PA) The Sun reported that investigators are also planning to use radar equipment that can scan beneath the ground. It has been variously reported that teams will look where trenches were dug near the resort at the time of Madeleine's disappearance, at wells, ruins and water tanks, and that there are plans to examine 21 pieces of land. A Portuguese police van driving down a lane near where a search is taking place (Joao Matos/AP) The search is being carried out at the request of the German federal police, as they look for evidence that could implicate prime suspect Christian Brueckner, who is in prison for raping a 72-year-old woman in Praia da Luz in 2005. He is due to be released from jail in September if no further charges are brought. In October last year, Brueckner was cleared by a German court of unrelated sexual offences, alleged to have taken place in Portugal between 2000 and 2017. (PA Graphics) About 30 German police, including forensic experts, are expected to take part in the search, with Portuguese officers, which is expected to last until Friday. The Metropolitan Police said they were aware of the operation but that British officers will not be present. German investigators and Portuguese officers last carried out searches in 2023, near the Barragem do Arade reservoir, about 30 miles from Praia da Luz. Madeleine McCann disappeared from a holiday flat in Portugal in 2007 (Family handout/PA) Brueckner, who spent time in the area between 2000 and 2017, had photographs and videos of himself near the reservoir. It was previously searched in 2008, when Portuguese lawyer Marcos Aragao Correia paid for specialist divers to search it, after he claimed to have been tipped off by criminal contacts that Madeleine's body was there. British police were later given permission to examine scrubland near where she vanished in 2014. Last month Madeleine's family, who are from Rothley in Leicestershire, marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance, describing her as 'beautiful and unique', before her 22nd birthday, and vowed to continue the search. (PA Graphics) A statement from her parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, and the family, said: 'The years appear to be passing even more quickly and whilst we have no significant news to share, our determination to 'leave no stone unturned' is unwavering. We will do our utmost to achieve this.' In April, ministers approved more than £100,000 in additional funding for Scotland Yard detectives investigating Madeleine's disappearance.
NBC News
an hour ago
- NBC News
New searches underway in Portugal near where toddler Madeleine McCann disappeared in 2007
LAGOS, Portugal — Police investigating the disappearance of British toddler Madeleine McCann searched near an abandoned rural building in southern Portugal on Tuesday as they launched fresh probes near the holiday resort where she was last seen 18 years ago. The case received worldwide interest for several years, with reports of sightings of McCann occurring as far away as Australia, while books and television documentaries were produced about her disappearance. German investigators and Portuguese police officers and firefighters were searching in the countryside several miles from the Praia da Luz resort, where the 3-year-old disappeared from her bed while on vacation with her family on May 3, 2007. The teams were seen using pickaxes, shovels and chainsaws to clear dense vegetation and dig near a derelict building. Firefighters pumped water out of a well. Almost two decades on, investigators in the U.K., Portugal and Germany are still piecing together what happened on the night the toddler disappeared. She was in the same room as her brother and sister — 2-year-old twins — while their parents, Kate and Gerry, had dinner with friends outside. Portuguese police said Monday that detectives were acting on a request from a German public prosecutor as they carry out 'a broad range' of searches this week in the area of Lagos, in southern Portugal. The main suspect is a German national identified by media as Christian Brueckner, who is currently serving a seven-year prison sentence in Germany for raping a 72-year-old woman in Portugal in 2005. He is under investigation on suspicion of murder in the McCann case but hasn't been charged. He spent many years in Portugal, including in Praia da Luz, around the time of the child's disappearance. Brueckner has denied any involvement. The last time police resumed searches in the case was in 2023, when detectives from the three countries took part in an operation searching near a dam and a reservoir about 30 miles from the resort. McCann's family marked the 18th anniversary of her disappearance last month, and expressed their determination to keep searching.
