Sergeant Ross Gundlach was away from his pooch Casey for close to a year. The Labrador retriever had established a strong connection to Gundlach, a Marine. The duo participated in 150 plus missions as a team. They combed Afghanistan’s roads looking around carefully for bombs.
When their tours finished, they went their separate ways. Gundlach reassured Casey before, however, by telling her that if they were lucky enough to survive, he’d somehow track her down and get her.
The 25 year-old Gundlach meant his word. He started lobbying diligently for his right to be able to adopt Casey. He went to Iowa in 2013 with the intention of explaining his situation to a government committee. Before he had the chance to do so, however, he experienced the surprise of his life. The Iowa Elks Association made an $8,500 donation for the purpose of bringing Gundlach and his beloved dog back together. Their donation enabled another canine to take Casey’s former position.
Since they wanted to give Gundlach a happy surprise, they told him that he was to attend a military ceremony. When he got to the ceremony, Casey was actually right there to meet him. When Gundlach finally caught a glimpse of Casey, he simply couldn’t contain his happiness. He cried tears of pure joy. Casey was happy and overwhelmed by the sight of her buddy, as well. She couldn’t stop shaking in contentment. Gundlach was determined to get Casey back into his life. Luckily, he got his wish.