MBTA Reunites Marine And Bomb-Sniffing Dog Who Were Team In Afghanistan

BOSTON (CBS) – Two buddies who served in Afghanistan got back together at a Boston reunion that had one of them so happy he was wagging his tail.

Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Dylan Bogue was reunited with Moxie, a bomb-sniffing black Labrador who worked with him as a team trained to detect improvised explosive devices.

When he returned from his service in Afghanistan, Moxie took his bomb-detection skills to the MBTA where he served with Transit police officer Chip Leonard for 18 months.

Transit Police Chief Paul MacMillan said that when the MBTA learned Bogue wanted to get Moxie back he saw it as "an incredible opportunity to show our gratitude to a veteran who proudly served his country."

Leonard handed Moxie over to Bogue at the ceremony at Transit Police headquarters and then saluted the Marine and his best friend.

Giving up Moxie was not easy for Leonard.

"This was one of the toughest things I've ever gone through personally," said an emotional Leonard. "He's like the furry version of my son."

Moxie and Leonard went through a lot together, including this year's Boston Marathon where he sniffed for bombs on the Green Line. "He'll always be my dog and I'm going to miss him," Leonard said.

Bogue said he is very grateful to the people who made the reunion possible, calling it "truly a dream."

WBZ NewsRadio 1030's Doug Cope reports

Now Bogue will take Moxie home to Jacksonville, N.C.

"The thing that makes him special is the time that we shared together and the comfort that he was being there right beside us," Bogue said of Moxie.

MORE LOCAL NEWS FROM CBS BOSTON

In:
• Doug Cope