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Staff Sergeant Derek Pullman gripped the reinforced leash with both hands, his knuckles white against the nylon. On the other end, Ajax, an eighty-pound Belgian Malinois, lunged forward with a primal snarl. He was pure muscle and concentrated rage, his teeth clashing against the steel of his training muzzle. At four years old, Ajax was a combat veteran rescued from a conflict zone, but his transition to the U.S. had been disastrous. Three handlers had been attacked, eighteen stitches sewn, and zero progress made.
“This is Ajax’s final evaluation,” Pullman announced, his voice amplified by a microphone and carrying across the Camp Lejeune training field. In the bleachers, families and veterans held their breath. The air was heavy with the scent of diesel and cut grass, but the mood was tense. “If he cannot be controlled today, he will be humanely euthanized tonight.” A murmur rippled through the crowd; parents instinctively pulled their children closer as the dog thrashed against its restraints.
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