Life In This Dog’s Army

Oct. 21, 2016

Super Support for Military Dogs

To some people, going from working with currency and pensions to chew toys and dog poop might sound like a step down, career-wise. But not to Allison Merrill.

Merrill, who started working in the finance industry right out of high school, was attending college in pursuit of an MBA in finance when a simple addition to her family took her life down an entirely new path: She adopted a German Shepherd, Zuri. Problem was, Zuri didn’t get along with two other dogs in Merrill’s household, so Merrill began researching dog psychology and dog behavior. “Before I knew it, those interests started slowly taking over from my interests in finance,” she said.

By the time Merrill had finished her schooling, she was already well on her way to a new career. “I got my MBA handed to me, I looked at it, and I said, ‘I don’t want to do this any more!’” she said.

When an opportunity to take over the SunDog Boarding Kennel in Traverse City came up, Merrill grabbed it. The catch? She had plenty of experience with dogs, but little experience in running that kind of business. “The prior owner was moving to Alaska, so I just jumped in and decided I could figure it out as I went,” she said. “Everyone thought I was crazy. They kept asking why I was going from the finance industry to scooping dog poop!” SunDog, which Merrill calls “the first cage-free doggie-daycare boarding kennel in northern Michigan,” is in a fenced-in camp-like setting attached to Merrill’s home, allowing her to take care of the dogs 24/7, 365 days a year. The expansive indoor-outdoor environment allows dogs ample playtime and individualized attention. Three of the dogs — Zen, a white German Shepherd; Zion, a Shiloh Shepherd; and Zuri — are Merrill’s own, but she considers all of the boarding canines under her care part of her family. Zen and Zion even serve as canine blood donors in northern Michigan to help other dogs in need.

Through her local connections, Merrill ran into Doug and Pam Davis in Traverse City one day. Vietnam veteran Doug Davis’ much-beloved dog, Remmy (who passed away in December 2015), was a war hero and local celebrity, a retired patrol explosivedetection dog credited with saving dozens of lives. “They asked how the kennel was going — I’d watched Remmy for them a few times when they’d traveled — and they told me about Dixie Whitman, the woman who runs the Military Working Dog Team Support Association.”

The MWDTSA is an organization that focuses on active-duty deployed militarydog teams; it also supports education and memorial efforts. It didn’t take long for Merrill to get involved once she found out about the work that the MWDTSA does; she now represents the MWDTSA in Michigan. “Probably the biggest thing we do is send 200 care packages per quarter,” Merrill said. “Lots of other organizations do this as well, but we’re a little different; we focus on really fun packages that offer something for both the serviceman or servicewoman and their dog. We do theme packages for holidays and such. The D.O.G. Bakery in Traverse City helps us a lot, donating dog treats and biscuits for us to send.”

A recent package that was sent out for Talk Like a Pirate Day (Sept. 19) included a T-shirt, hat, snacks, and pirate-themed coffee for the soldier — plus a doggie pirate eye patch, water bowl, paw wax, and Bowser Beer, a non-alcoholic beverage for dogs. Support and funding for the MWDTSA comes from donations and fundraisers, something Merrill said has been challenging in Michigan.

“People see that the MWDTSA is headquartered in West Virginia and figure we’re not a local organization,” she said. “But we are! I’m right here in Traverse City, working to help support the troops and their dogs!” The majority of donated funds, she added, go directly into the care packages, special memorials for war dogs, and educational events where kids can learn about becoming a military dog handler. “We also help soldiers when their dogs are killed in action,” Merrill said. “We help fund costs to bring the dogs’ remains back home from overseas.”

SunDog has afforded Merrill additional opportunities to help. Through both her own boarding kennel and the MWDTSA, she’s established a lot of good relationships with military dog teams. “Some of the retired teams will bring their dogs and will volunteer with us,” she said.

She also boards dogs long-term when they’re not able to accompany their owners. “One dog, a German Shepherd named Tank, belongs to Staff Sergeant Baron of the Air Force, who’s currently overseas for a 15-month tour,” Merrill explained. “He’s required to work with the dog permanently assigned to the base he’s at, so his own dog has to stay here. We’re waiting to hear when the sergeant will be able to return, but for now Tank has kind of become a spokesdog for us and is part of our kennel family here.”

Merrill’s own relationships with the dogs she cares for, and with their soldiers, are what have made this career change worthwhile to her. “It’s heartwarming and very special to me to establish bonds with these service people and their dogs who are working for all of us overseas,” she said. “We love getting photos back from the soldiers, and it helps to show them to our donors so they can see the rapport we’ve built. Other people do send care packages, but sometimes they forget about the dogs, and it means so much to me to remember both.”

To find out more about the MWDTSA, visit mwdtsa.org. To find out more about SunDog Boarding Kennel and/or to donate locally to help support service people and their military working dogs, visit sundog-kennel.com or call 231-932-9150.