Sugar Land Marine reunites with retired military dog

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- A lifetime of service is over for a military working dog. Now he's being adopted by his former handler, a Sugar Land native.

It had been a year since U.S. Marine Corporal Jonathan Cavender had seen his bomb sniffing partner Maxi, that is until their joyful reunion Wednesday at Bush Intercontinental Airport.

The pair spent two years working together while stationed in Japan. They were reconnected by the American Humane Association and Mission K-9 Rescue, two groups that work to get retired dogs back with their former handlers.

"She served 12 years of her life working with the military, and I just wanted to provide her with a home where she could just relax and enjoy," Cavender said.

Although Maxi is retired, Cavender is still active and stationed at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio.