Corporal the German Shepherd

Corporal, the 6-month-old German Shepherd puppy, is still learning to follow commands. Named after fallen Marine, Corporal Andrew West, this young pup takes on any challenge as if her life depends on it, just like he did.

One morning, around 5:30 a.m., Corporal was ready to start the day, and she took off exploring the 11 acres of cornfields, woods, and bean fields near her home! This wasn’t particularly abnormal as Corporal would often explore the area around the house. However, something must have peaked her interest enough that she felt challenged to explore the cornfields deeper — so much so that she couldn’t find her way back out!

After a few hours, and still no Corporal, her owners widened the search and called in extra reinforcements to help with the search. About 30 minutes after help arrived, Corporal sauntered out of the cornfields. Maybe it was the fear of getting in trouble or the amount of people eagerly waiting, but Corporal was too scared to face everyone and shrank back into the cornfield. With a little bit of time, and some powerful coaxing, Corporal eventually came out of the cornfield without a scratch on her… just some dirty paws!

“When we bought Corporal earlier in the year, our breeders took it upon themselves to enroll her with AKC Reunite and I’m so thankful they did,” said Sutherland, Corporal’s owner. “I reported her missing that day and within minutes, all surrounding vets had her information. It made the panic of her disappearance a little less stressful knowing there were plenty of other people who had her information!”

Corporal returned home safely on her own, but who knows what could have happened if she wandered even further and ended up on a main road or in the hands of another person! Thankfully, her enrolled microchip has her protected for life. Should she escape again, her microchip can be detected, and she can be reunited with her family!