kmarshall@scn1.com
He has protected former Vice President Dick Cheney, former first lady Laura Bush, foreign dignitaries and saved the lives of Army soldiers by sniffing out bombs in the Middle East. Military Working Dog Alan has been serving with the 947th Military Police unit in the United States and overseas, and now it is time for him to retire.
The 8-year-old German shepherd worked as a bomb-sniffing dog for much of his life before being diagnosed with an intestinal disorder 18 months ago that cut his service time short. It was later learned that the military had plans to euthanize Alan.
But thanks to Danny Scheurer at Lindenhurst-based Save-A-Vet, the active dog will not have to worry about that.
The organization specializes in providing retirement homes for military and police dogs that will be cared for by injured or retired veterans.
Scheurer traveled to Arlington, Va., this week to pick up Alan from the Department of Defense and escort him to his new home in Wonder Lake today.
'Alan is a very lovable and enjoyable dog,' Scheurer said about the animal that will also be an honorary VFW member in McHenry once his health problems are addressed.
Scheurer, a former Army marksman who served in Iraq from 2004 to 2006 and was seriously injured in an explosion, has vowed to build a shelter in Lake County for dogs that can't be adopted because of their military training as they are deemed too aggressive.
In addition to detecting bombs and protecting dignitaries, Alan was also used as a vital security asset and goodwill ambassador. He was instrumental in performing numerous anti-terrorism measures and responding to bomb threats near military bases.
'As our organization grows, we will continue to fight for the rights of these fellow soldiers,' he said. 'Soldiers that did not volunteer for their jobs, but still did them with every ounce of energy they had.'
Military Working Dog Alan
