COLUMBIA, S.C. — They say dogs are a man’s best friend. Add working alongside them every day while protecting your country, and you have an indescribable bond. That's why a North Carolina veteran recently reunited with his K-9 after serving with him years ago.
Joseph Graves served in the Marines from 2012 to 2016. When he joined, he was paired with his K-9, Cane.
They shared a special bond while training in Afghanistan but parted ways after their tour. Eight years later, they reunited at the South Carolina State House.
“It was definitely a great experience to get to see him again and meet his latest handler," Graves told News19.
Graves said when they parted ways in 2013, he felt he didn't get to truly say goodbye. "We parted pretty abruptly," he said. "They hopped in the trailer and that was it."
Graves tried looking for Cane once home in Holly Ridge, North Carolina, but had no luck.
It turns out, Cane had been transferred to the South Carolina Bureau of Protective Services, and he worked in Columbia for another six years.
"He’s worked many rallies at the State House. He’s searched the Governor’s Mansion many times and he’s never once hesitated to not come to work anytime," said Cane's latest handler and owner, Lance Corporal Jess Driggers.
Both Graves and Driggers said in their interviews that Cane loved his job. "As soon as he started working, his nose would go to the ground and he never stopped," Driggers said proudly.
Cane, now gray-haired and a veteran himself, has retired. "He served his country and state and now it’s his turn to be retired," Driggers said.
Once Cane retired, Driggers was curious about his time as an IED detector dog in the Marines. With the help of a friend, he looked into Cane's file and found his previous handler, Joseph Graves.
"When Joseph was tracked down and we talked on the phone, that’s one of the first things we talked about: Him coming down to South Carolina to meet with Cane," said Driggers.
Graves couldn't believe, after all these years, he found Cane. "He had been so close this whole time, just three hours down to South Carolina," Graves said. "So, that's pretty wild, that he was that close.”
Graves drove down to the State House with his family to reunite with Cane and thank him for their time together.
“Sure enough, as soon as I went to pet him, he laid right down, gave me his belly and was like hey, you know where to scratch," Graves said while laughing.
When asked how it felt to finally see him again, Graves said "the closure was really satisfying." He's happy that "Cane got to live his best life and is still living his best life in retirement now.”
For Driggers, the reunion brought him a new friend and a deeper appreciation for Cane.