K9 Facts

Lucca was a Marine Corps bomb dog who worked Iraq and Afghanistan for six years. In more than 400 missions, no Marine on her patrols was ever hurt. On March 23, 2012, a bomb took her front leg. Her handler carried her out. She was walking again within ten days, and in 2016 became the first US Marine Corps dog awarded Britain's Dickin Medal for bravery. She retired to the Marine who had been her very first handler.

Hurricane was a Secret Service Belgian Malinois on duty at the White House. In October 2014, a man jumped the north fence. Hurricane charged in and took repeated kicks and punches. He pinned the intruder on the lawn until agents arrived. He medically retired in 2016 and went home with his handler - the most decorated dog in US history.

Nick spent eight years sniffing out explosives for the Army. Federal workers across the Defense Department know him a different way. His goggled photo is the login screen for the Department of Defense Global Directory. He ran 58 Secret Service missions, a NATO summit and the UN General Assembly. Nick retired at Fort Meade on January 21, 2026. His handler, Staff Sgt. Justin Peyton, adopted him.