He thought his military-dog, Eddie, was feeling spent and just didn’t feel like working. When the dog continued not to budge from his position during a regular patrol in a village in Afghanistan, Staff Sgt. Shannon Hutto suspected that his sniffing dog was on to something. Turns out, there was a bomb buried a mere 6 inches from his feet.
The bomb detonating team went to work right away. A few more bombs were uncovered by Eddie. It was very hot that afternoon and it wasn’t just because of the weather. Eddie found a few more of the same type of bombs on a bridge that the military forces were set to cross. The act of the Belgian Malinois saved the life not only of his partner, but also the lives of many soldiers and people in the village.
On April 11, 2014 with several soldiers present, Eddie finally retired and was given military honors.
Eddie served the government for a total of 5 years. He has helped in securing the venues of some of the presidential visits, and of some government facilities. Upon his retirement, Eddie will be handed back over to his first trainer.
Sgt. Hutto said that he will never forget Eddie, or that afternoon. More than anything else, he’s happy that Eddie is now able to enjoy luxury; he can get lazy on a hot afternoon without the need to worry about an improvised bomb under his master’s feet.