Oh Baby! The Best Companion THE NEWEST AND CUTEST MEMBER OF OUR TEAM
Sometimes, dogs are more than just a man's best friend — they are heroes. When the Israel Defense Forces brought Chris Willingham, a Marine specializing in training military dogs, a small German shepherd and Belgian Malinois mix puppy in 2006, he knew she was special. Willingham named her Lucca, and in 2008, the pair deployed for their first tour in Iraq, where they spent countless hours together searching for improvised explosive devices or IEDs. When Lucca smelled a bomb, she'd lie down and wait for Willingham, an action they repeated so many times that the pair seemed to read each other's minds. In fact, the duo became so successful that when platoons suspected they were heading into especially dangerous territory, they requested the team by name. THE INCREDIBLE STORY OF LUCCA, THE EXPLOSIVE-DETECTING DOG WHO SAVED LIVES
Dr. Neil welcomed her first child, Ottilie, earlier this year, and the new baby is already part of the Surface Creek family. Since returning to work part- time, Dr. Neil has brought her daughter to work at our office every day, and we love having the little bundle of joy here. “Dr. Jeff and Dr. Susie offered the arrangement,” Dr. Neil explained. “I didn’t expect that, but they said they
After returning from their second tour in Iraq, Willingham received orders that the Marines were restationing him at the Marine Security Guard School. But before he had to leave, he was allowed to choose a new handler for Lucca. Willingham chose Corporal Juan Rodriguez, whom he sensed was the perfect match for Lucca. And he was right.
raised their kids in the vet practice and were happy to have her here.” While the idea initially made her nervous, Dr. Neil came around. “We’re getting into the swing of things,” she says. After several weeks, everyone developed a routine. “Ottilie is a perfect angel in the morning,” Dr. Neil explains. “But in the afternoon, she gets a little crabby.” After eating breakfast and attending the morning meeting, Ottilie typically socializes with the staff until her nap at noon. Fortunately, the baby is already an animal lover who loves watching the office cats and seeing dogs play fetch. Ottilie, also known as Tillie and Otterpop, has a nap in an office closet to keep out light and noise. “Theoretically,” Dr. Neil says, “She also takes a few naps in the afternoon.” But babies are unpredictable, and Ottilie is known for the occasional crying fit. “I think I’m more sensitive to the crying than anyone else,” Dr. Neil says, “But if she gets really cranky, we call 911-Granny for a pickup.”
Lucca and Rodriguez picked up where she and Willingham left off until one day in 2012. The pair were four hours into their patrol in southern Afghanistan when Lucca located her second IED of the day. However, when she moved closer to the device to lie down — it exploded . Rodriguez quickly ran to Lucca, where he discovered she had lost one of her front paws in the explosion. He applied first aid, a tourniquet, and called for a medevac, never leaving her side. She had suffered burns to her neck and torso, and doctors had to amputate her front left leg. However, in less than a month, Lucca was back to running around with the same spirit as before her injury but was now retired from her day job. She was reunited with Willingham and lived the rest of her days with him and his family peacefully until her passing in 2018. Lucca led more than 400 patrols during three combat tours in her career. She found 40 confirmed insurgents and countless explosives, and she never had a single human casualty during her six years of service. 2 970-856-4474
As for clients, Dr. Neil says, “The most
common reaction when they hear her crying is, ‘Is that a baby goat?’ We have to say, ‘Good guess, but that’s a baby human!’”
Dr. Neil says her experience as a first-time mom has been “overwhelming and terrifying” but also joyful. She’s extremely grateful for the support from the entire office. “Everyone
pitches in and hands Ottilie off to others as needed,” she says. “I think this will be a great environment for her
to grow up in.”
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