A reunion in the making; finding the handlers of hero war dogs | Pets

SALISBURY - Two dogs who have spent their lives saving the lives of American soldiers in Iraq, and now waiting in Salisbury for a reunion with their handlers, if those handlers can be found.

Raka and Woody are yellow Labradors that have found a home, for now, at Faithful Friends in Salisbury.

The dogs were trained by the military and used for bomb detection in Iraq.  "It's hard to say how many lives these dogs have saved," Faithful Friends President Mary Padavick told WBTV.

The dogs were brought back to the United States through a program called Operation Baghdad in October 2010.

The dogs were owned by an Army veterinarian, but when she was reassigned to Hawaii and not allowed to take the dogs, they were brought to the Rowan Animal Shelter.  The shelter contacted Faithful Friends and the dogs found their new temporary home.

Padavick says  they would like to find the dog's handlers to see if they would be interested in reconnecting, but she admits, that could be a difficult search.

"We don't know who they are or where they are, but thought we would try," Padavick added.

Anyone with any information that could be helpful in reuniting the dogs with their handlers is asked to call Faithful Friends at 704-633-1722 or visit www.faithfulfriendsNC.org.