They say that a soldier’s duty is to protect a country’s territory and liberty, but behind many a soldier’s story is a dog willing to put its life on the line just to save their lives.

Truth be told, there is so much attention being given to military dogs during their service. However, once they walk out of retirement, these brave dogs are oftentimes forgotten and just turn into some memories from the past.

Little did we know, military dogs play a critical part in military missions. Their excellent sense of smell gives them a lot of advantages when it comes to locating enemies. They can also sense if an enemy is approaching, thus making them the perfect defense at military base camps.

These smart dogs are also trained to detect snipers from afar, explosive devices, and to locate injured soldiers within a wide range. It is safe to say that these noble dogs saved tens, hundreds, to thousands (if not millions) of soldiers and even civilians on the battlefield.

Sadly, after all of the “good jobs” that they received, there are just some people who see them as nothing but ‘just another object’ instead of a valued contributor to the military team. In their eyes, these army dogs are just a plain sight of violence and aggression.

After the long years of service, once they reach retirement age, these once hero dogs, oftentimes do not have a home to settle into.

Worse is that they may be taken to shelters or even be put down.

A U.S. military dog named Layka was mercilessly shot four times by the enemy at point-blank range while trying to save the lives of many soldiers.

The dog’s handler, Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald, did everything in his ability to adopt her after the unfortunate incident. And he did it in spite of all the criticisms made by many of his friends.

The brave dog, a Belgian Malinois, is now living a happy life with Sargent McDonald and his family, and her inspirational story of bravery and survival was shared by National Geographic on their YouTube channel.

“On the day Layka got shot in May, instantly I felt the sense of urgency to fix her.” Julian told the camera. “I owe this dog everything from this day here on out, with my son, with my mother, with my family… I owe her everything.”

Layka still managed to attack and subdue the shooter despite being badly injured from the gunshots.

Her unselfishness and bravery saved the rest of the soldiers from Sargent McDonald’s team.

Sad to say, many humans wouldn’t do the same.

“I felt really bad because I was the one who put her in the building.” Julian reflected. “But at the same time, I was relieved that I was still alive, and my buddies to my left and right were also still alive.”

Unfortunately, her bravery cost her a leg, it was then decided upon that she was no longer fit to continue being a military dog. It definitely changed her life, big time!

Thankfully, Julian was there- he adopted her, gave her a forever home and family.

“She saved my life, that’s why I’m here. I owed it to her, and that’s why I fought so hard to adopt her, even when people were saying ‘she’s too aggressive.’ They deserve good homes.” Julian said.

They proved people wrong.

Layka quickly adapted to being a family dog by showing nothing but tender love and care to Julian’s one-year-old son.

“The first time I brought her home, my son was just over one year old at the time.” Julian said. “She went right over to Liam and submitted and lay on her back. My son got on top of her chest, grabbed her ears and put his hand in her mouth, and she wasn’t doing anything. She was just laying there and taking every bit of it.”

The critics were definitely wrong as Layka effortlessly fit into the McDonald’s family. Though Julian couldn’t just take away Layka’s passion for serving in the military, he still takes her to some army training.

“If you bring them into a home environment then they will become a product of that environment, because all animals learn to adapt and survive.” Julian concluded. He added, “If the dogs put their time into the country, then the government owes it to them to put their time into them.”

To be honest, sometimes, dogs are even more humane than humans. And it makes us so sad to know that some military dogs are not being treated so well after their service. But when most people forget what kindness and giving back is all about, there is Julian, ready to remind us all that it doesn’t hurt to give back, especially to life-saver dogs like Layka.

Watch Layka’s story and the man who changed her life in the video below.

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Source: Animal Channel, YouTube/National Geographic