After a number of years in the process, U.S. Marine Nick Montez was finally able to bring Mally home. Mally is a nine-year-old bomb-sniffing dog that served with him in Afghanistan. Montez returned to Lewiston, Idaho, on June 26, with Mally in hand, ready to give her the loving home he’s been wanting to provide for five years now.
“She’s still just as sweet as she always was,” he noted to NBCDFW.com. The pair served together in Afghanistan, charged with the task of finding I.E.D.s (improvised explosive devices). After their return to the U.S., they were separated. Montez was honorably discharged from the Marines, however, Mally’s job wasn’t finished yet, and she continued her work at Lackland Air Force Base in the Texas Hill Country. After five years of following up, Montez was finally given approval for her adoption in June.
After having lost hope a number of times in the process, Montez refused to give up. Although the communications with the Air Force base had since ceased, Senator Mike Crapo issued a letter and request on his behalf. Following that, Montez remained in constant contact with Jerry Britt at Lackland Air Force Base. Upon his arrival at the base in San Antonio for the final greeting and pick-up, Montez noted that Britt also seemed touched by this story and the process that ensued. “Jerry met me outside and he just had this big old grin on his face,” Montez said to NBCDFW.com. “It looked like he already started crying.”
Photo: Facebook/Military Working Dogs
The first time Montez was even able to see Mally since the adoption request began was when he went upstairs at the base to complete the paperwork. He defined it as a moment that felt surreal. The dog exited the kennel and approached Montez, who dropped to his knees and hugged her. Montez began talking to the dog, who looked at him with an inquisitive stare. Then her tail began wagging.
Mally has a number of health issues that make for an extensive medical file, but thankfully, Montez notes that none of these issues are debilitating. “She was great, but she’s been kind of terrified,” Montez said, adding that this was likely the first time Mally’s been on a plane since her flight to Texas from Afghanistan. As they got closer to home, Montez’s friend, Patrick Riddle, surprised him by taking over as the driver. A law enforcement motorcade then greeted them and escorted the trio over the Clearwater River Memorial Bridge, where residents had gathered for a “Rally for Mally.” As they rode across the bridge, Mally poked her head out of the car as the residents clapped and cheered.
Now ready to commence family life in Lewiston, Mally won’t want for anything as far as Montez is concerned. He also plans to donate some of the many contributions he received from people across the country having heard his story and contributed to his travel costs. He has earmarked 25 percent to go to the Lewis-Clark Animal Shelter and the remaining 75 percent to Mission K9 Rescue, a non-profit organization that covered his airfare to pickup Mally in Texas. Their mission is reuniting retired military working dogs with their owners, and this has certainly proven to be one of their successes. “Even though the attention is like sensory overload, it’s a good problem to have,” Montez said. “I’m surprised our story has affected so many people. That’s a pleasant feeling.”
