"We were bonded by duty and love!"

When former Air Force Staff Sgt. Angela Lowe's canine partner was being retired, she longed to give him a fur-ever home. But she had just a 7-day window to pick Szultan up. Unable to get time off from work and school, she worried for his future...until a caring K9 rescue made it their mission to bring him home!

- Bill Holton

Air Force Staff Sgt. Angela Lowe's heart was heavy. A medical discharge was ending her military career and, even harder, she had to say goodbye to her K9 partner, Szultan.

Angela had been Szultan's first handler. The pair had a rocky start. The 70-pound shepherd had a stubborn streak and the aggressive temperament that a military dog requires. But, in time, he and Angela became a perfectly meshed team. He followed every instruction, and during quiet moments, he'd nuzzle her affectionately with the top of his head.

For a little more than a year, Angela and Szultan worked together at South Carolina's Joint Base Charleston, where they checked incoming vehicles for explosives and performed sweeps of the Navy's Weapons Station and Nuclear Power School.

"I'm proud to have served with you," she gave Szultan a final salute and hug on her last day, and there were tears in her eyes as her comrade headed off with his new handler.

No dog left behind

Angela moved to Kentucky, where she lived with an adopted bloodhound, Dixie, and a shepherd duo, Addie and Jackson. But Szultan always held a special place in her heart. I hope he's okay and happy, Angela thought each morning as she filled dishes with kibble.

Four years and a move to Pittsburgh passed, and one day in January of 2022, Angela received an Instagram message from now-10-year-old Szultan's handler. Our buddy's about to retire. Would you be interested in adopting him? But you'll have to act fast.

Angela knew that there was only a seven-day window between Szultan's last day on the job and finding a home. Because of their aggressive temperament, military dogs don't often get adopted by civilians. The hope is one of their handlers will take them. Szultan's current handler, and only partner since Angela, couldn’t adopt him.