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Marine veteran gets his missing service dog back in heartwarming video

Posted at 10:53 PM, Apr 12, 2016
and last updated 2016-04-12 22:53:36-04

MIDVALE, Utah - Heartwarming video shows the tearful reunion between a Marine veteran and his service dog after the pup went missing from his Utah hotel room.

Chris Galliher, who served in the Marines for seven years, says they were playing at the Discovery Inn when he opened the door and his dog, Raider, took off. The pair was supposed to be heading home to Spokane Washington after attending Marine promotion and retirement ceremonies at Camp Pendleton.

Distraught, Galliher searched through the night for the beloved pet that had eased his difficult transition into civilian life after serving in Afghanistan.

"I got Raider when I felt like I felt like I was in a dark cave and there was no chance of seeing the light again and getting him was like having a little glint of hope," he told KSTU.

Little did he know, Raider hadn't gone far, and he was taken to the Utah Vet Center near his hotel. The next day the clinic became the scene of a tearful reunion as cameras recorded the touching moment.

"Where'd you go? Where have you been? You scared me so bad," Galliher asked Raider, whose tail wagged vigorously as he ran into his owner's arms.

Galliher suspects that his furry companion may have caught a glimpse of a squirrel which sent him bolting out of the hotel room.

"Having him with me side-by-side makes me more confident, strong, and more like the sergeant in the Marines I once was."