How a retired explosives detection K-9 from Dubai, who is a very good boy and doesn’t chase cats or chickens, became the newest member of the Parlange family.

By Mary Parlange

The Facebook post from Harlows Heroes, a Connecticut-based nonprofit that helps and supports retired working dogs (K-9s), was brief: Lord is a very healthy, social, and laid-back pup. Please help him get the retirement he deserves.

I had been thinking about getting a dog for a long time. I went to adoption events. I walked dogs at the local rescue. But something always stopped me. I’ve never had a dog before. What about the cats? The chickens?

Sometimes a decision isn’t so much made as fate intervenes.

I called Krista Serra, who runs Harlows Heroes, and arranged to meet Lord the following week and find out more. How is he with cats? (Answer: unknown.)

I left Connecticut that November afternoon with five things: a dog, a crate, a bag of food, a six-month supply of flea and tick treatment, and the magic word for releasing a ball.

Lord is a Belgian Malinois, a breed known for its stamina, intelligence, and loyalty. For the past eight years, he had been working in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, sniffing cargo for explosives. At the mandatory retirement age of 10, he was sent to a kennel in Connecticut because he couldn’t be adopted in the UAE.

“That’s a big dog, Mary,” Marc said as I gave Lord a tour of the house.

Worry set in. Lord didn’t eat much. He was skinny. He was old. How would I keep him from getting bored when he was used to working all the time? How much fetch was too much for his aging joints? Would he terrorize our beloved cats, Ruckus and Achilles?

The internet told me that Malinois are among the top four dog breeds not recommended for first-time dog owners. They have a high instinctive prey drive. I’m an idiot, I thought.

But Lord, I am convinced, is an outlier. He doesn’t bark. He doesn’t chew on anything he shouldn’t. He sits, lies down, stays, and comes on cue. He’s friendly with dogs and humans. He loves his crate and sleeps like a champ. With some positive reinforcement, he has learned that the cats are part of the family and are not to be chased. The chickens don’t interest him.

Transitioning to retirement can be challenging for working dogs. I can tell he loved his job because he comes alive when we play scent games or hide-and-seek with his Kong toy. When I jog, he glues himself to my side and keeps perfect pace.

I owe a debt of gratitude to Jen Anderson, M.C.P. ’87, who trains search-and-rescue dogs, and Lisa Rodier ’87, whose dog, Atle, a Bouvier des Flandres, worked as a therapy dog at URI. They taught me the scent games I play with Lord and provided advice on all things canine. Lisa is convinced Lord is secretly sending text messages to his pals back in Dubai—You wouldn’t believe my luck … foot massages every day, gourmet food, a bed in every room …

When spring finally arrives, you’ll find me out on the Quad with Lord, basking in the sunshine and playing ball.

Photo: Seth Jacobson

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Mary Parlange, whose husband, Marc Parlange, is URI’s 12th president, is a writer and an active member of the URI community. She is involved in sustainability efforts and environmental issues, is a certified URI Master Gardener, and actively supports URI’s Free Farmers Market. In addition to Lord, she has welcomed chickens and two cats to the URI campus family.

More about Harlows Heroes and how they support active and retired K-9 teams at harlowsheroes.org.