Since the beginning of time, the United States Armed Forces have placed a significant amount of importance on the use of military canines. They have received the necessary training to carry out critical responsibilities, which have resulted in the protection of both military and civilian persons. They are considered to be heroes in their own right due to the vital service that they do for the nation.
Joe has said that “She still likes to nibble on my thumbs.” As it had done before, the dog leaps up onto his chest and kisses him. Tess had some graying on her muzzle, but otherwise she was the same dog that Joe had come to know and love while they were in Afghanistan.
The process of getting Tess home, on the other hand, was anything from straightforward. It required a significant amount of paperwork as well as aid from Tess’s relatives, friends, non-governmental organizations, and the office of U.S. Representative Jackie Walorski.
The adoption of Tess has been made possible in large part due to the efforts of Joe’s wife, Stephanie. She maintains that ever since she and Joe started dating all those years ago, she has been hearing tales about the dog. It was at that moment that she recognized how important Tess was in Joe’s life, and that realization inspired her to begin the lengthy process of reconciling the two veterans, which would take several years.
The couple and everyone else who assisted them put in a significant lot of work, but it paid off in the end since they were able to take Tess back with them to their house.
“Looking at her right now, it feels like it’s been a lifetime, but it also feels like it was just yesterday that I said goodbye to her,” Joe said of his reunion with Tess. “Looking at her right now, it feels like it’s been a lifetime,” Joe said of his reunion with Tess. “I have no doubt that she will have a lovely life in a house filled with love from this moment on till the end of all eternity. Simply said, it’s great to have her back in my life.
Stephanie has already seen the effect that Tess has had on her family, and Joe is now suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder as a result of it. She asserts that ever since Tess moved in with them, her husband has been seeing a marked improvement in the quality of his sleep. Joe concurs.
“Just having her around, being able to say, ‘Hey come here, Mama,’ and then hearing her collar jingle all the way towards me, and the way she still gets happy when she sees me and everything like that,” he stated. “Just having her around, being able to say, ‘Hey come here, Mama,’ and then hearing her collar jingle all the way towards me.”
Tess is said to have adjusted quite well to her new environment, according to the Steenbekes. The pair has expressed their excitement over the prospect of providing her with the most enjoyable retirement imaginable. It is unquestionably due to her! Tess’s whole life, ever since she was a little puppy, she has been dedicated to her profession in the military, which requires her to put in a lot of effort. Now that everything is taken care of, she can relax and have a normal life like any other dog.
The tale of how the two found one other again is undeniably moving. The joy that can be seen on both of their faces indicates that Tess and Joe provide happiness to one other and that their lives are enhanced by their partnership.