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Update: Military Allows Former Marine to Adopt Her Old Service Dog

Update: Military Allows Former Marine to Adopt Her Old Service Dog

'Rex is my partner; I love him.'

(The Blaze/AP)- A Marine bomb disposal expert will finally be reunited with the military dog who served alongside side her in Iraq.

Former Marine Cpl. Megan Leavey has saved her beloved canine companion from being put to sleep, and now he is scheduled to spend the rest of his days at Leavey's side in retirement.

(Previous: Retired Marine fights to adopt military dog before it's put to sleep)

The Daily Mail has more details of this touching story:

"Leavey survived a road-side bomb with her loyal canine Sgt. Rex and was devastated when it was announced that the German shepherd was to be put down by the Marine Corps. Leavey, 28, completed over 100 missions during two six-month tours in Iraq with the military service dog Rex. [After serving, Leavey] strove to cut through what she saw as bureaucratic red tape that she said was preventing her from adopting the dog with whom she was injured with in Iraq."

'Rex is my partner; I love him," she told Msnbc.com. "We have been through so much together … I’ve spent day and night with this dog. It’s a very strong bond."

Leavey had strong support from veterans groups, and even a member of the U.S. Senate.

Sen. Chuck Schumer has been a proponent of their reunion, and he said Monday that the Air Force has agreed to release the dog, Sgt. Rex, into the care of former Cpl. Megan Leavey, of Rockland County.

Leavey was injured with Rex in 2006 while trying to disarm an explosive in Iraq. They convalesced together.

Schumer had intervened when Leavey, a Purple Heart recipient, was first turned down in her effort to adopt Rex in 2007. Rex was returned to service.

Now Rex, a black-and-brown German shepherd, is 10 years old and can’t continue his military service, but Schumer said bureaucracy still stood in the way of the adoption.

“We salute the Air Force and the Marines for doing the right thing and allowing Rex to be with Cpl. Leavey,” Schumer said.

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