Fort Jackson's military police lost one of its own during Victory Block Leave as Dori, a 9-year-old military working dog, lost her battle with cancer Dec. 21.
Dori, a German Shepard, lived a life of relative luxury during her last few days.
Her service was commemorated by full honors. After an autopsy, she was cremated.
Her ashes will go to her longest-standing handler, Spc. Jacob Sharp.
Dori's last handler, Sgt. Elton Lambert, native of Cadillac, Michigan, had nothing but praise for the canine.
Lambert worked with Dori every day during her last seven months, until she got sick.
"(Dori) was great; she was awesome," Lambert said. "She was an extremely hard-working dog."
Dori had been serving Fort Jackson since 2013.
She was very laid back, Lambert said. While she did well on attacks -- one task of being a military working dog -- her detection skills were what made her stand out.
Her nose was "unmatched," Lambert said. If there was something to be sniffed out, "she'd always find it."
During her life, Dori traveled across the country and around the world. She completed several tours in Afghanistan and served in Qatar from 2015-2016.
She also played a role in several secret service missions.
"Dori had been across the globe," said Raleigh, North Carolina native Capt. Amanda Jeffries, Dori's veterinarian at Fort Jackson.
On a day-to-day basis, Dori and Lambert would attend events like graduation and Family day, patrol the installation and conduct random antiterrorism measures.
Since she was so easygoing, Dori would often take part in events involving Fort Jackson youth.
She even made an appearance at the 2018 National Night Out.
"She was just a hard-working dog that loved to be loved," Lambert said. "Dori was just Dori."
Dori always wanted to be petted and scratched, and she loved to chew on her tennis ball, but she also had great work ethic, Lambert said.
Dori held a special place in her last handler's heart.
"I've seen this dog every day," Lambert said. "The bond becomes something that you can't really explain … it's a bond like no other."
Although working dogs are supposed to be considered "equipment," handlers develop a rapport with them, Lambert said.
When Dori left, Lambert said it was "pretty rough for everyone here … everybody (knew) Dori."
Her condition was discovered when she went in for a check up with Jeffries at the Fort Jackson veterinary clinic Dec. 17.
She had been having some difficulty keeping up with her work.
"She was getting older; she was getting slower," Jeffries said.
Though her blood work looked perfect, Dori was getting skinnier and losing muscle mass.
"Searching high" had become a challenge.
Jeffries said she assumed the issue was being caused by spinal compression, arthritis and degeneration, so a CT scan of Dori's back was scheduled.
Before the scan, Jeffries made a discovery that changed everything.
Dori's stomach was sagging, and when Jeffries did a physical examination, she felt a mass on her abdomen.
The veterinarians decided to expand the view of the CT scan and discovered a tumor. It was "a pretty large mass growing on her spleen," Jeffries said.
Dori traveled to Fort Benning to see a specialist who considered removing her spleen.
"The way the tumor had spread throughout the liver, it wouldn't have likely been a good outcome for her," Jeffries said.
They decided to keep her happy and comfortable -- giving her treats like steak dinners and chicken nuggets -- for as long as possible instead.
"She was allowed to be a dog for her last week and a half," Lambert said. "She was allowed to be more free."
Car rides, one-on-one time with other dogs, and relaxation filled her final days on earth.
By Dec. 20, the veterinarians made the call to let her go.
"We don't want any animal to suffer," Jeffries said.
Lambert said it was for the best. She has now "crossed over the rainbow bridge" and is healthier and happier for it, he added.
"We did the right thing when we did it," Lambert said. "You could see the changes in her (as she got sicker)."
The medical community turned up Dec. 21 for Dori's final walk into the veterinary office.
"We rendered her a final salute," Jeffries said.
Lambert recalled that Dori jumped right in the back of the patrol vehicle on the drive there, ready to go to work despite her illness.
A funeral home in Sumter, South Carolina lent the installation a hearse to escort Dori's remains throughout post, as would be done for "any dignitary," Jeffries said. "She was an asset and we wanted to make sure we honored that asset."
A full-blown ceremony equivalent to that for any other fallen Soldier is yet to take place.
For the last working dog put down, a 21-gun salute was even performed as part of the send-off, Lambert said.
Results from Dori's autopsy will help determine the type of cancer she had, since Jeffries said it appears "very different" from more common varieties.
It will also help determine whether any of Dori's missions predisposed her to the condition.
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