Luke did not plan to adopt two dogs, already having two at home. But a bonded pair of senior dogs touched the Iraq war veteran’s heart.

Army life

For 20 years, Luke served his country in the Army. He spent his entire career as an infantryman, including three deployments to Iraq and assignments at Fort Bragg, Fort Lewis, Fort Sill, Fort Campbell, and Valley Forge Military Academy and College.

Before he finished his military career at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Luke would serve in some of the most dangerous places in the world.

One of Luke’s most memorable experiences came from a quiet moment during the Iraqi elections in January 2005. His sniper section spent three days on an overwatch mission at a polling place in Tal Afar. As the soldiers prepared to leave, the family whose home they had used for their position made them a meal.

Through an interpreter the family’s eldest male told Luke that he opted not to vote because he did not feel safe. Then he changed his mind.

“He decided to vote because there were American snipers in his house and we would keep him safe,” Luke recalls. “I felt like we made a difference that day, even if it was just to that one guy.”

Two as one

After retiring from the Army in June 2022, Luke began a new career as a high school English language arts teacher. When not working or spending time with family, he plays drums in a touring band.

However, his home life is in a constant state of transition.

Luke and his wife have five children. Two are in college, one recently graduated from high school, and two are still in high school. But the Army veteran’s wife was having a difficult time dealing with the emptying of their nest.

“My wife is my support system,” Luke shares. “With our kids leaving the house for college, she was struggling.”

The couple thought adding another rescue pet to their pack might help fill the void of their children leaving the family home. During a visit to The Humane Society for Tacoma and Pierce County they learned about Pets for Patriots and our companion pet adoption programs.

This shelter offers our members reduced adoption fees of just $16 and as of this writing we have more than 180 adoptions through our partnership.

The dogs the couple ended up adopting were not an obvious choice.

Jack and JayJay were both 11 years old and found as strays.

The duo had already spent more than a month in the shelter with little interest. Not only were they senior dogs, but as a bonded pair faced a higher burden of finding a single home together.

Luke discovered that sometimes the best laid plans do not come to pass. He was touched by the easy affection the dogs had for one another, and how they had endured hardship as strays.

“We didn’t plan on adding two dogs,” he admits, “but when we met these two as a bonded pair we knew they were perfect for our house.”

“Outstanding”

Since the two old dogs were found as strays no one knows their previously given names.

So Jack, the honey-furred pup, became Watson and JayJay, with playful black-and-white markings, is now Sherlock.

Right from the start the two dogs set about making themselves at home. They discovered the living room couch, got acquainted with the family’s other dogs—a Mastiff and a Basset Hound/Beagle mix—and became part of the brood.

“They’ve not only met the other pets in the house,” Luke shares, “but they’ve become a pack already.”

The Army veteran appreciates that we make adopting companion pets easier and more affordable. Our programs provide a range of benefits to lower the lifetime costs of pet care.

“The support Pets for Patriots provides is outstanding.”

For the combat veteran and his wife, the rewards are far more than financial. Sherlock and Watson gave them new reasons to explore their community together.

“We take these two out with us when we do things outdoors,” he says. “Without the dogs, I don’t know that we would go to the farmer’s market or any of the other outdoor events we attend. They make us want to go places.”

Sherlock and Watson

Despite being a bonded pair the two pups are different as night and day. Sherlock loves outings with Luke and his wife. He is energetic, affectionate, and greets every stranger as a friend.

“Sherlock, he’s full of energy, he’s got a huge personality, and he’s very cuddly,” Luke observes.

“He likes walking around at street fairs and farmers’ markets and meeting new people.”

Watson, on the other hand, takes a decidedly more relaxed approach to life.

“Watson, he loves being carried around and looking at things. He’s very content to curl up on my lap and watch TV. I love how he’s the smallest dog, but he’s always in charge.”

Yet above all, Luke is most gratified how these pint-sized pups invested new energy into his household, and boosted his wife’s spirits as their children start to leave the family nest.

“We adopted Sherlock and Watson to fill the gap left by our two oldest,” he says. “They make her happy, and that makes me happy.”

When two is better than one

Soon after adoption Sherlock and Watson visited the veterinarian for a thorough exam and a grooming appointment. Their good manners impressed where ever they went. They show no signs of their previous hardscrabble life before they were rescued by the shelter and adopted by Luke.

So much of the two dogs’ journey remains unknown. All that matters to Luke is that an opportunity came along to save not one, but two senior dogs’ lives—and he seized it.

Yet the transition from shelter dog to beloved family member might not have happened without our support and the generous donors who bring our mission to life.

“I don’t know if we would have adopted them without the assistance we received from Pets for Patriots,” Luke shares. “Thank you so much.”

“…couldn’t be more grateful”

As a career infantryman with three combat tours to war-torn Iraq, Luke has seen the worst of humanity. But rather than these experiences hardening his heart, they taught him to appreciate the beauty of life.

A loving wife. Children starting to make their own way in the world. A refuge to unwanted animals, including a pair of old dogs passed over by others.

Sherlock and Watson were not the easiest dogs to place. They were seniors, found as strays. More than a month went by in the shelter with scant interest in them. And they absolutely needed to find a home together.

But Luke and his wife saw past the challenges. They saw two vibrant little souls who deserve to spend their golden years in a loving home.

“We couldn’t be more grateful to Pets for Patriots for this opportunity,” Luke says. “These two bring a smile to our faces every single day.”