An emotional video showing a U.S. Navy veteran adopting a blind military working dog (MWD) named Elbee has gone viral on social media.
The video, posted to Facebook on Tuesday by the Humane Society of Tampa Bay, has amassed over 687,000 views and thousands of comments from teary-eyed viewers who were happy to see Elbee find his forever home with his "brother in combat," though many couldn't understand how a K-9 veteran wound up in a shelter in the first place. See the video above.
Dogs have served alongside U.S. soldiers since the Civil War; however, the first official K-9 corps wasn't created until World War II, the American Kennel Club (AKC) said. The Department of Defense (DOD) recruits these dogs from "elite breeders" all over the world, but a select few—roughly 13 percent—are born and bred through the U.S. military, the DOD website explained.
In the past, many MWDs were either "left behind to fend for themselves" or euthanized once their service was over, Military.com said. In 2000, however, former President Bill Clinton signed into law HR 5314, or "Robby's Law," which allowed suitable MWDS to be adopted upon retirement.
According to Petfinder, since then, 90 percent of MWDs end up with their handlers after retirement. A majority of the rest are adopted out through Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland.
In a statement to Newsweek, a spokesperson for the Humane Society of Tampa Bay said Elbee had a family prior to living in the shelter; however, he was surrendered because he was "not a good fit for their home."
"They had strangers in and out of the house a lot which made Elbee very anxious. His former family still loves him very much but they surrendered him selflessly so he could have a chance at a more peaceful, calm, quiet home," the spokesperson continued.
In the video, the Humane Society explains that Elbee served in Iraq, and as a result, suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
They said he had some anxiety issues [and] some PTSD symptoms, which is understandable given what his job was. As someone with some of those same symptoms, I can understand it.
"They said he had some anxiety issues [and] some PTSD symptoms, which is understandable given what his job was. As someone with some of those same symptoms, I can understand it," Scott, the U.S. Navy Veteran who adopted Elbee, said in the video.
"[MWDs] serve just like we do, they go through the same things that we do and we give them absolutely nothing for it...the least we can do is take them in and give them a home," he continued.
Throughout the video, Scott and Elbee walk around the shelter together before finally loading into Scott's truck.
"One week together and Scott says Elbee is LOVING his new life in a rural Bay Area home surrounded by peace & quiet!" the Humane Society exclaimed in its post. "THANK YOU BOTH FOR YOUR SERVICE."
Viewer Reactions: 'I am crying'
Viewers loved the video and sent well wishes to both Elbee and Scott.
"I am crying. How does a pup who served in Iraq end up in a shelter? Thank you both for your service. Thank you sir for your compassion and understanding. May God bless you both," Greek Elaine wrote.
Linda Silberg Beller echoed the sentiment, saying: "How does a beautiful dog that served our country end up in a shelter? Thank you to the veteran who adopted this beautiful boy. Wishing you both a long happy life together and thank you for your service."
Wishing you both a long happy life together and thank you for your service.
Mary Mccloskey added: "This story has filled my eyes with tears. Thank you for rescuing him and I hope you have a very happy life together!"
Newsweek has reached out to the Humane Society of Tampa Bay for comment.
As it turns out, Elbee isn't the first pet from Tampa Bay to make headlines.
In February, a Tampa Bay cat named Cookie went viral online for her lemur-like tail.
Another Humane Society of Tampa Bay alum named Sage went viral in September after being adopted by actor Dave Bautista.
And last April, the shelter reported that a formerly homeless man who was forced to surrender his dog was reunited with her after finding a job and a new home.
07/01/2022, 11:41 a.m. ET: This article has been updated to include comments from the Humane Society of Tampa Bay.
Uncommon Knowledge
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Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Sara Santora is a Newsweek reporter based in Florida. Her focus is reporting on viral social media posts and trends. ... Read more
