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“Once the dog retires, no matter where they are, they are not considered a military service member anymore. They have become a pet, not a vet,” said Kristen Maurer, president of Mission K9

Rescue. “The military is not allowed to put a pet on a flight, so they’ll ask us to step in and get the dog.”  The group’s mission is to rescue, reunite, rehome, rehabilitate or repair any

retired working dog that has served humanity in some capacity. Since 2013, they have rescued over 1,100 dogs and reunited over 540 working dogs with their former handlers.  “When it’s a

dog we’ve been told has some behavioral issues, we’re very respectful of what we know they’re capable of. I asked Angela if we could fly him on a plane, and Angela felt like, ‘No, not a good

idea,’” said Maurer. Instead, the team flew from Texas to South Carolina, retrieved Szultan and drove a rental car with the canine to Pittsburgh.  Awaiting Szultan’s arrival, Lowe stood

outside on the phone with Maurer, eager to reunite with the dog she had felt such a strong connection with. As soon as the truck pulled up and his carrier door opened, a timid Szultan walked

straight into Lowe’s welcoming arms. “I know it’s so scary. I know, big guy. It’s OK. It’s all so new,” she reassured him. “Welcome to the pack, bud.” Maurer wished Szultan a great

retirement after all the hard work he had put in during his service. “It’s time for him to be on a sofa and to just get spoiled and loved. Angela will definitely do that,” she said. Within

a few days of their reunion, Szultan was more mellow than Lowe had seen him in seven years.  “Having him come back suddenly is like having a piece of the Air Force with me,” she said.

“I’m looking forward to the summer, when I can go sit on a patio and have a couple of drinks with my buddy, Szultan.” ​​ _This is the sixth episode from AARP Studios’ new documentary series

 _Reporting for Duty._ Each month you can expect a new inspirational story about veterans and military families at _YouTube.com/aarp_._ _Aaron Kassraie writes about issues important to

military veterans and their families for AARP. He also serves as a general assignment reporter. Kassraie previously covered U.S. foreign policy as a correspondent for the Kuwait News

Agency’s Washington bureau and worked in news gathering for _USA Today_ and Al Jazeera English._