COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — After 17 months in a kennel, former military working dog, Pongo, has a home.

“I’m pumped, I’m excited for him to get here,” said U.S. Army Specialist Caleb French.

The reunion was arranged by Mission K9 Rescue, a non-profit that works to re-home and rehabilitate working dogs from either the police force, or the military.

French trained with Pongo 10 hours a day, five days a week, for four months. Pongo was trained as a Tactical Explosive Detection Dog, but when the army discontinued the TEDD program, Pongo was adopted to a private contract company.

“When I was told I wasn’t going to be able to deploy with him, that was it. I never thought I’d see him again. That was hard,” French said.

French deployed to Afghanistan himself for 10 months, but the bond between him and Pongo lasted.

Pongo along with 10 other TEDD dogs ended up being abandoned at Mount Hope Kennels in Virginia.

“Anyone who has to give up their dog is giving up a piece of them. And so, getting their dog back is putting them back together again,” said Kristen Maurer, president of Mission K9 Rescue.

Matthew Foster, former marine, knows this feeling all too well after he was reunited with his war dog last year.

“For us, the bond is life or death. And when we work together, it’s not only just to keep each other alive, but to keep everybody else alive and that bond is unbreakable,” Foster said.

“You take him with you everywhere you go. He’s gonna be closer than the soldier next you. Cause you’re gonna be working with different soldiers everyday,” French said.

A true man’s best friend.

“You can’t explain how much it means to us. It’s just, it’s insane the amount of love and happiness that comes from that,” Foster said.

All but two of the TEDD dogs were reunited with their handlers, but all now have forever homes.

A war dog memorial was just approved by the city last month and it will be built near the Ring of Honor at Memorial Park. Organizers of the memorial hope to have it completed by next Fall.

To learn more about Mission K9 Rescue, click here. For more information on the War Dog Memorial, click here.