Army vet reunites with his missing service dog on Veterans Day

Yesterday was Veterans Day in the US, a special holiday to honor all the men and women who have served in the military. But it was an extra special day for one vet, who reunited with his service dog who was lost for days.

Nick Rankin is an Army veteran who served in Afghanistan. Like many returning vets, Nick suffers from PTSD — but thankfully has a loyal friend to help him through everything.

That friend is Fossy, a two-year-old German Shepard who acts as Nick’s service dog.

“He’s phenomenal, he’s phenomenal. He’s my best friend,” Nick told WKBN. “He goes everywhere I go. He’s friendly with everybody. He’s great with all animals. He’s my best friend.”

Fossy was with him as he moved to Boardman, Ohio from New York two weeks ago — but sadly, the dog got lost in the move after escaping from his kennel.

Nick began an urgent search for his beloved pet, urging everyone in the area to be on the lookout and offering a $300 reward.

It’s never easy when a pet goes missing, especially when it’s a service dog who you rely on for your health. But Nick was also worried about Fossy’s wellbeing: the dog had never been away from him for so long.

“I know he’s extremely scared right now because he hasn’t been alone since he was 2 months old when I got him,” Nick wrote in a Facebook post. “He means the world to me.”

The search continued for a week. Nick heard word of possible sightings in the area, but still didn’t have his dog back.

Then, on Thursday, he finally got the news he had been waiting for: Fossy had been found!

According to WKBN, Fossy was found four miles away. A local found the dog eating cat food, and officials set up a cage to humanely trap the lost pet.

Nick was overjoyed to hear his dog was found: “I feel on top of the world to have him back,” he told WKBN. “The amount of relief and amount of gratefulness to have him back is just insane.”

Fossy was happy too, to finally be back with his beloved owner: “When he saw me, he started crying.” The dog was reportedly in good health, despite the ordeal.

Fittingly, the two were reunited on Veterans Day, making it an extra special holiday for this vet.

“Coming on Veterans Day, having him… I feel on top of the world to have him back and I know he’s just as happy.”