19. Never Alone
Matthew Kropp was serving in the US Army back in 2011 in Iraq. Later, he was assigned at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad in 2014. It was there where he met his service dog, Tina. She became his K9 unit and friend, helping Kropp serve his country.
With Tina, Kropp never felt alone. He knew that military dogs are a valuable part of the team, and Tina worked by his side for three years. But one day, Matthew received some bad news about his four-legged colleague…
18. Protecting the Embassy
For years, Matthew and Tina protected the United States embassy in Iraq from explosives that would enter the building. The two colleagues were inseparable, and you can see they bonded. In an interview, Matthew admitted that “without her, I wouldn’t be able to live.”
17. A Tough Time
Serving in the army is not easy but having by your side a dog that would do anything for you and accompany you through tough situations made it easier. Unfortunately, Matthew received some bad news for Christmas…
16. Devastating News
Back in December 2017, Matthew was expecting to hear only good news. Instead, he learned that Tina had to leave his side because she was too old for the job. The man thought he would never see her again! He had to stay in Iraq…
15. Where Could Tina Be?
Kropp had to remain in Iraq for a little longer. Nonetheless, Tina was still in his thought, and when he returned to the U.S. to spend some time with the family, Kropp knew that life wasn’t complete without his loyal companion. So he decided to look for her!
14. Something Was Missing
Kropp knew that Tina was that “something” that was missing from his life. He wondered how he could find her, and fortunately, he learned about the K9 Hero Haven, which is an organization from Herndon, PA, which adopts retired military dogs and looks for families that would take them home.
13. Rehoming 200 Dogs
Anne Gibbs, who runs the organization, has helped find homes for more than 200 dogs in the two years before learning about Kropp and Tina. She agreed to help him find where the retired canine was. First, Tina had to live with a foster family…
12. A Long Process
Rehoming retired military dogs needs a longer process where pooches are first tested, and then sent to forest homes where they get to play with other dogs, children, and learn all the things house pets should know. It took almost a year of finding Tina, fostering her and reuniting Kropp with his beloved pooch!
11. The Day Has Come!
It was finally time to reunite Matthew with Tina. He was very nervous and excited, wondering if Tina would remember him after all those years. Local news staff was ready to capture the reunion that made everyone cry…
10. Impatiently Waiting For
Matthews admitted in front of the camera that he was afraid Tina wouldn’t recognize him:
“I’m hoping that she’s excited and that she remembers me. That’s what I’m really hoping for.” He got more than what he was expecting!
9. A Christmas Gift
Tina was brought in the café by a member of the K9 Hero Haven. It was right before Christmas, and this time it was a moment of celebration! Tina’s reaction when she sees her old friend is more than we’d ask for!
8. She Ran to Her Friend!
When Tina was escorted into the café and saw Kropp, she ran towards him, wagging her tail, and licking him. It was a reaction Kropp hoped for, and their bond looked tight even after all this time being apart!
7. Too Happy
Tina was so happy that she couldn’t fight back her emotions as she threw herself into his arms, and then on the floor, waiting for tummy rubs. She missed his love and emotion, and Matthew couldn’t stop crying seeing her next to him again. And that’s not all the good news!
6. You’re Coming Home!
What Tina didn’t know was that she was not getting back to her foster family. She was moving in with Matthew and his family who were eager to have her by their side and shower her with love and belly rubs!
5. A Phenomenal Feeling
Gibbs was happy to see the two reunited and said that “…to be able to see them come home and spend all the rest of her life with his family and being a dog and a family pet. It’s phenomenal.”
Matthew will have to return to Iraq, but Tina will rest home with her new family, the Kropps!
4. Two Loving Kids and a New Mom
Tina will have two loving kids that will play with her and a mom that will care for her every day. The pooch can rest and live her life in peace with nothing to worry about. Meanwhile, Gibbs is making sure other K9 Units get loving homes…
3. K-9 Hero Haven
The organization won’t stop until they find loving homes for all the retired service dogs that have worked in police departments, the military, and public service agencies. Many of these dogs are old, might have medical issues or suffer from PTSD, which is why adopting one is a long process.
2. A Good Family
K-9 Hero Haven staff must make sure that adopting families are fit for the retired canines, and they are doing their best to reunite service animals with the original handlers or with homes that are experienced in caring for a service animal…
1. The Perfect Home
We see that Tina has been lucky to find the perfect home back with Matthew, and she deserves it after all those years of service. Now she can play with toys and chill on the couch!