A Navy SEAL says farewell to his dying K9 partner and embraces him in his final moments.

It was peace, at last, for a dog of war.

Mike Ritland, the founder of Trikos International, a dog training and procurement company, shared the emotional photo on his social media account.

Ritland’s post featured a Navy SEAL burying his face on the neck of a dog whose head rests on an American flag pillow. The solemn resting expression paired with quiet grief paints a picture of a warrior finally laid to rest.

Carlos, a dog who served in Afghanistan, has passed away.

The Facebook post invited people to offer their condolences to a former SEAL teammate “Mike Mike”. He was Carlos’ handler and owner after the dog retired to civilian life.

Not much was specified about Carlos’ military career but the pictures showed us a glimpse of his years in service.

Clad in his desert harness, Carlos’ sat proudly beside his fellow brothers in arms. Together with these men, Carlos’ made sure that they were safe while doing their jobs so far from home.

Carlos was one of the lucky dogs to retire into civilian life.

Mike Ritland’s company discovered that some service dogs were being euthanized when they could no longer fulfill their roles.

These dogs are usually psychologically scarred. They were traumatized as a result of the constant exposure to the stressful and chaotic environments they had to work in.

Physically and psychologically worn, these dogs tend to regress into aggression.

Mike Ritland made it his mission to save as many dogs like this as he can. Through the Warrior Dog Foundation, Mike prevents these dogs from being put down by providing them care and assistance as they transition into civilian life.

Carlos comes from a long tradition of warrior dogs.

Dogs were initially embedded into the military to serve as mascots. By the time of the Second World War, members of the American Kennel Club (and civilians who were just as passionate when it came to dogs) formed an organization called Dogs for Defense.

They trained dogs for sentry duties along the coast. Their mandate was then expanded to supply depots. Of the 32 breeds, they first considered, the list of warrior dogs was eventually trimmed to seven breeds.

By the end of the World War, the Military Police Corps took over the training of military dogs. Currently, there are about 500 dog teams that serve in different combat zones including Iraq and Afghanistan.

Carlos was one of them.

To memorialize the dog’s contribution to the nation, they draped a flag on Carlos’ body. The flag was something that Mike carried with him on every operation with Carlos. It still has Afghan dirt dusted on the fabric – the same dust that was on Carlos’ fur.

They also threw him a fitting sending away party where Carlos enjoyed his favorite treats together with his favorite people.

“He gave him his favorite last meal of steak before crossing the rainbow bridge, and our hearts are now much heavier having to say goodbye. Fair winds and following seas C-man, we have the watch from here buddy.” the Instagram post said.

Rest easy now, Carlos. You will be truly missed.

Read Mike Ritland’s original tribute in the Facebook post below.

Please SHARE this with your friends and family.

Source: Facebook – Mike Ritland, Instagram – @mritland, US Army, Mike Ritland, Facebook – U.S. Army