A US Army veteran has been reunited with his former military partner, a Belgian Malinois, after more than two years apart. The reunion, which occurred just before the holiday season, marked a new chapter for Payton May and his four-legged friend, Yyacob, who first served together in Iraq.
In 2021, during their first deployment together, the experienced detection dog proved invaluable, helping May cope with the isolation and challenges of military life. “They see the best of you and the worst of you. “They’re there with you when you go to sleep, they’re there for you when you wake up … they give you a sense of purpose.” May told CNN.
Their companionship included sharing a small bed on base and enduring the hardships of deployment side by side. But after returning to the US in the spring of 2022, May was reassigned to Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, while Yyacob stayed behind at Fort Drum, New York. “It was kind of soul-crushing,” May said of being separated from Yyacob. The emotional toll of that departure lingered, especially as Yyacob, too, struggled with separation anxiety and was unable to work with a new handler.
May, a veteran with a long family history of military service, had enlisted at 18 and initially considered leaving the Army in 2019. It was then that the opportunity to become a K-9 handler emerged, a role that May described as rare and highly sought after. After completing the rigorous Military Working Dog Handler Course in 2020, May met Yyacob, who was known for being energetic and a bit unruly. Their immediate bond grew stronger through months of training and joint missions, including protecting high-profile officials.
When Yyacob retired from active duty, May began to consider adopting him. The 2016 National Defense Authorization Act grants handlers the first right to adopt their retired dogs, but connecting with the right person can be difficult. With the support of American Humane, May’s efforts paid off when Yyacob’s retirement was confirmed in October. The animal care expert, April Smith, was tasked with preparing Yyacob for his new life, spending two days with him at Fort Drum before flying with him to San Antonio, complete with his seat on the plane.
Smith described the instant recognition between the two during their reunion, stating, “Of all the dogs I have transported, Yyacob, realizing who was there to see him, was so quick. He knew exactly who that was.”
For May, it was a bittersweet moment, as it coincided with the recent loss of his other dog, Towzer. “It didn’t really feel real at first,” he said, acknowledging that while it had not been an exceptionally long time, it had felt like “it’s been forever.”
American Humane has pledged to cover Yyacob’s veterinary care for life, easing the financial burden for May, considering the dog’s need for anxiety medicines. “It takes a weight off of our shoulders, especially as military people, because we don’t make that much as it is. And with the way things are nowadays, everything’s getting expensive, it just takes a whole load off of us,” May said.
May now works as an instructor for the Military Working Dog Handler Course and shared his excitement at the prospect of travelling with Yyacob. “I plan on just seeing the world with him, getting him out and actually letting him live his life as a dog. Whether that’s going to parks and throwing a ball with him or just riding around with me in the car, it doesn’t matter. Just (making) sure he’s with me. That’s all that matters to me,” May told CNN.
