A Marine Corps veteran who hasn’t seen his dog for years reunited with the yellow Labrador Thursday morning at Sea-Tac International Airport.
Corporal Deano Miller, a Tacoma native, joined the Marine Corps at age 18 and served on deployment in Afghanistan as a member of the infantry.
The yellow lab, Thor, served with him in Afghanistan. Nearly four years have passed since Cpl. Miller had seen Thor, as Cpl. Miller returned home from deployment in Afghanistan in 2010.
The dog specialized in explosive detection in his service in combat missions abroad.
“He was my best friend; he was my everything,” Miller told KIRO 7. “I didn’t go anywhere without him, and then when I had to leave him I felt like I abandoned him.”
Thor is retiring from military service and Cpl. Miller is adopting him to ensure he has a loving home.
“I owe it to him,” Miller said.
KIRO 7 reporter Chris Legeros was at Sea-Tac for the reunion and is putting together the full story right now for KIRO 7 Eyewitness News starting at 5 p.m.
The reunion was made possible by the American Humane Association and Mission K9 Rescue who worked together to bring military war dogs back to the U.S. from combat abroad and reconnect them with their former handlers.
Want to talk about the news of the day? Watch free streaming video on the KIRO 7 mobile app and iPad app, and join us here on Facebook.