At 120 pounds Djembi faced few prospects for adoption. That changed when an Air Force veteran took a flyer on this giant bundle of love.

Wings of war

Brent served in the Air Force as a 2W0X1 munitions troop, known as AMMOs, supporting A-10 aircraft. These professionals are tasked with the assembly, maintenance, inspection, and delivery of munitions systems.

AMMO troops are expected to serve anywhere in the world they are needed.

In 2011 Brent deployed to Afghanistan in support of the ongoing war. But this otherwise sobering assignment included an unexpected layover in Germany that provided a rare moment of levity.

“We struck a bird on takeoff and got grounded for a week,” he recalls.

“So everyone else got there before us while we were chilling in Germany.”

Brent returned stateside from Afghanistan in 2012. After completing his tour of duty he relied on higher education to ease the transition to civilian life.

The Air Force veteran earned an associates degree in radiography and a bachelors degree in healthcare management.

Now Brent splits his time between working as an MRI technician and part-time college instructor.

Every dog has his day

Despite his busy and gratifying life, Brent felt something was missing: a four-legged wingman. So at the end of May 2024 he applied to Pets for Patriots after learning about our programs through a veterans’ services organization.

“I love these groups that support veterans,” he says.

The airman’s pet search journey started at Humane Society of the Huron Valley. Since 2011 the shelter offers veterans we serve half-priced adoptions and 10 percent off at their full-service veterinary clinic.

During Brent’s visit he and his wife met Djembi, a big dog – 120 pounds, to be exact – with an even bigger heart. He was believed to be about five years old and, due to his age and considerable size, faced grim prospects for adoption.

Brent was approved into our pet adoption program just days before visiting Humane Society of the Huron Valley. Upon meeting Djembi he knew that this gentle giant was the one.

From that day forward Djembi had renewed hope and a new name.

“His name is now Toby,” Brent says, “after the late great Toby Keith.”

“…brightens up my day”

Like many veterans, Brent sought the emotionally supportive companionship that all dogs and cats deliver. But he wanted a pet who could be part of the adventurous lifestyle he and his wife enjoy. Toby fit the bill.

“I wanted a companion,” he explains. “We travel a lot, and he is always with us. It makes me so happy to see him exploring the world. He is always looking out the window.”

But while Toby is all in on his new family’s exploits, he is equally content with quieter moments at home. His mere presence brings Brent genuine joy. And his size is more than physical; he is an always-there presence in nearly every aspect of Brent’s life.

“He literally brightens up my day no matter what. He is 120 pounds, and I love when he lays with us to watch a movie. It’s like having a whole person there,” he says. “Sometimes the bed isn’t big enough!”

Toby has become more than a pet. He is a travel companion, a source of comfort, and a reminder of all the good things in life. Above all, Toby is a family member. Brent even bought a large SUV and removed the back seats so Toby will have plenty of space on road trips.

“Like I said, we travel a lot,” Brent shares. “He has been all over. It is great!”

Easy to adopt

Setting up a new pet for success in a new home takes time, patience, and work.

Even pets who lived previously in a home environment will often need brush ups of their manners, or have to learn the rules of their new roosts. So our team does everything possible to make the experience of adopting easier, enduring, and more affordable, too.

Brent appreciates the ease of application to adoption, as well as our team’s ongoing follow up to help nurture his bond with Toby. He recommends other veterans apply to Pets for Patriots if they are thinking about pet adoption.

“Absolutely, the whole process was so easy,” he shares, “and it’s an awesome group of people.”

Not everyone will want or be able to care for a giant 120 pound dog. It is one of many reasons that larger dogs of all ages tend to languish in shelters.

But one gentle giant proves that every dog has its day. At least that is the hope, and the reason so many people devote themselves to saving unwanted animals’ lives.