National K9 Veterans Day

Hello Ruff Life Friends- I wanted to share with you something that is particularly close to my heart.  Dogs that serve in the military…. or what are called Military working dogs (MWD)… and March 13 is a day to Nationally recognize them.

I want to clarify some things. There are many types of working dogs. Dogs that work with law enforcement as well as the military, ones that sniff for bombs, working dogs for the blind , medical alert, therapy dogs and emotional support dogs. There are so many types of dogs that “work”…. but there are a small, elite group of dogs that are military, and an even smaller group we can also classify as veterans.

My brother is a Marine. He has been deployed more times than you can count on your fingers on both hands. He served our country and survived, but not without the lasting impressions of what war is. Many fought for our country. Some came home and some did not. The same goes for our MWD. There are MWD that stay stateside for training of them and their handlers. There is a group of MWD that end up overseas that assist the military for a multitude of reasons. For MWD, the majority of the jobs consists of alerting to danger or scent and potentially sniffing out a particular thing.

Here in Michigan we have a pet cemetery and memorial park dedicated to Military Working Dogs, Police Dogs and other working dogs as well as peoples pets that have passed.

The Michigan War Dog Memorial is a non-profit organized to educate the general public on the heroics and dedication that K-9’s give to serve and protect us

The volunteers from their organization travel all over to events to do presentations and talk with groups about the importance of their work and these dogs.

Their MISSION is to continue restoration of the public space they have to a park setting and maintain that setting for the purpose of allowing interment of retired Military Working Dogs and retired Service Dogs. Because they are non-profit and because of donations they are able to provide interment, with full honors, at no cost to the handler/owner. They also provide research for military records and/or service records.

Military War Dogs have been deployed and work alongside our brothers and sisters in uniform. Their job has changed over the years, but their dedication has remained true.

If you want to go pay tribute to the dogs that have served us, the War Dog Memorial is in South Lyon.

25805 Milford Rd, South Lyon, MI 48178

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺

While Newman was on his adventures getting cookies to Santa’s Elves….. there was another problem that needed solving.

We still have to find Gallivanting Gryphon and get the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 back from him!

Dee Dee and Lulu need to find these 🪨 stones 🪨 and get them back SOON! They need to have them in less than two weeks!! Their 👰🏽‍♂️ humans 🤵🏽‍♂️ are getting 💍 married and they need them for the ceremony!

Who will help them get these 🪨 stones 🪨 back?!?! I think we have a couple of 🇬🇧 British 💂🏽‍♂️ 🕵🏽 detectives 🧐 that are up for the hunt!

DeeDee and Lulu knew they needed to hire professional help to get the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 back from Gallivanting Gryphon!

They decided to call 👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 , the most successful pooch private investigators!

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 were happy to jump in to help find the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨! Because they are well connected they had already heard about this dastardly deed and had intel to share with DeeDee and Lulu!!!!

How would they possibly know about this?!? They live in London!

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺  (Part 3)

🧐 Sherbosco Holmes is an internationally acclaimed detective and he is often roped into assisting 🇬🇧 MI6 and Scotland Yard🕵🏽 when there are special circumstances, especially involving 🐕 canine criminals and bow-wow bandits 🐶!

🧐 Sherbosco had already heard of 👿 Gallivanting Gryphon! 👿 Gryphon has found himself unintentionally wrapped up in an international smuggling ring! He was somehow coaxed into taking the Charlevoix Stones from 💫 DeeDee and Lulu 🪶 to sell to the evil Prof Muttriarty!

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 needed to figure out why 👿 Gallivanting Gryphon would do this! From what they devised in their research, he seemed like a really good bloke outside of international stone theft!

Our pooch professionals were able to catch up with 👿 Gallivanting Gryphon and questioned him as to why…. stay tuned for details on their interrogation!

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺  (Part 4)

The detective duo sat down with 👿 Gallivanting Gryphon and had a chat with him! They learnt that Gryphon took the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 because he thought 💫 DeeDee and Lulu 🪶 were so clever and smart, they could find more…. 👿 Gallivanting Gryphon’s judgement was also clouded with grief as he very recently lost his little sidekick Pippin to the Rainbow Bridge. He didn’t know what he was getting into!

Muttriarty also made an offer he couldn’t refuse! Instead of a 🪨 stones 🪨 SMUGGLING operation though, he thought he was going into a SNUGGLING operation! He was going to trade the 🪨 stones 🪨 for hugs🤗! He was sad and he just wanted more HUGS and snuggling to make him feel better! He never meant to hurt anyone.

He said he came to the 🇬🇧 UK to trade the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 but he was TRICKED and Muttriarty made off with the 🪨 magical stones 🪨…… but not before learning that Muttriarty was collecting 🪨 magical stones 🪨 to use in his giant space laser. He knew where Muttriarty was going! He could lead the way!

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺  (Part 5)

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 learnt from Gryphon that the mischievous Muttriarty was headed to Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex. 15 years ago in this coastal village, there was a nuclear power plant, not running, but still standing. Prof Muttriarty played a role in the decomissioning of this power plant. Little did the contracting team know, Muttriarty was secretly collecting radioactive material and hiding it away, while also starting work on his space laser. No one knew he was building a vault under this power station. It was brilliant! All the infrastructure was there to power his laser, he just needed the right raw materials to make it work!!

That is where 👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 would be able to find the menacing Muttriarty.

Muttriarty made it back to is lair and greeted his sister and co-conspirator, Mischievous Mollie.

Muttriarty: Mollie, I’m back! I have the 🪨 STONES!

Mollie: Did you say SCONES!! I LOVE SCONES!

Muttriarty: Nooooo Mollie, I said I was orf to get the magical 🪨 STONES! STONES MOLLIE!!

Mollie: I was certain you said mouthwatering SCONES when you left! I don’t want 🪨 STONES! They are yucky!

Muttriarty: Of course their yucky, they’re inedible Mollie!

Mollie: But those shufty fancy SCONES! Let me try one…..

Muttriarty: Good Golly Miss. Mollie, they’re NOT SCONES!!! They are  🪨 STONES for my ⚡ space laser!!!

Mollie: That’s no fun, I want scones.

Muttriarty: I’m chuffed to bits! We are going to take over the 🌍 world!

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺  (Part 7)

Muttriarty has been working all weekend even through all the noisy 🎇 New Year Celebrations! He is getting his ⚡space laser ready and he’s almost finished! He just needs to place the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 in the correct place to refract and condense the 🔅light. The ⚡ laser will then be all powerful! He will then use the ⚡ laser to take over the 🌍 world!

He’s so tired though from working all weekend, he needed to take a nap! He will rest and then place the 🪨 stones in the morning and then 🌍 WORLD DOMINATION!

Muttriarty: Mollie, watch the door! I am going to nap! Make sure NO ONE comes in here! Keep the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 safe!

Mollie:  OK! I will keep watch. Do we have any scones to eat yet?

Muttriarty: No MOLLIE! WE DON’T HAVE SCONES!

Mollie: I just wanted to make sure!

Muttriarty: Just watch the door!

Mollie: Okay, I just really wish we had scones.

Little did Muttriarty know,  👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 had tracked him to is lair and they had been keeping surveillance all weekend!

Now that Muttriarty was taking a break, they had a plan!

As soon as Muttriarty was gone, Mollie heard knocking at the door. Who could it be!?

She opened the door and saw a lovely plate of SCONES!!! She knew they MUST be for her!!

She didn’t even think twice about protecting the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨! She was so hungry!

Mischievous Mollie 😜 ran right outside without any consideration for closing the🚪door and started eating the scones!!

Little did she know there were two schnauzers keeping watch and ready to go in and nab the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨!

That is in fact what they did! And so quickly, she hadn’t even finished eating her scones yet! Just like that 👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 retrieved the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨 for 💫 DeeDee and Lulu 🪶!

Now, they needed to figure out a way to notify 💫 DeeDee and Lulu 🪶 they have the 🪨 stones and the wedding can proceed! They have three days to get the 🪨 stones to the United States (Michigan) for the wedding ceremony of 💫 DeeDee and Lulu’s 🪶 humans!!

Will they make it in time?!? ⏰

As 👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 were making off with the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨, Muttriarty came looking for Mollie!

Muttriarty: Mollie!!!! Where are you!?! WHERE ARE MY 🪨 STONES!!

Mollie: Huh? What?! What 🪨 stones?

Muttriarty: THE 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨!!

Mollie: Oh, huh? They were just there!!!

Muttriarty: Well, now they are NOT! Where are they?!?!

Mollie: Uh, I think I saw two schnauzers……

Muttriarty: NOOO! NOT 👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 ?!?!?!?!?! They have my 🪨 stones! We must find them and get them back!!!

AND what is that all over your FACE?! 🐶

Mollie: Uh, nothing.

👓 Sherbosco Holmes & Dr. Kipson 🩺 made off to the Colchester airport with the 🪨 Charlevoix Stones 🪨! They need to catch their flight and get to Michigan ASAP!