Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love

Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love, explorers the intimate bond between military working dogs (MWDs) and their handlers --combat soldiers who make life-and-death decisions based on the instincts of the dogs who lead their patrols. When the rules of engagement shifted from traditional combat to an unforeseen and invisible enemy, two out of three soldier deaths are caused by Improvised Explosive Devices(IEDs).
The film follows Sgt. Marcin Radwin and Sgt. Danielle Jennings and their canine companions, Dex and Block, as they deploy to Afghanistan to find IEDs before they injure, maim, or kill troops. In a punishing landscape fraught with danger, following multiple deployments, Danielle and her dog Block, disturbed by the effects of war, suffer PTSD and are discharged. Notable animal experts, Temple Grandin, and Marc Bekoff, argue that based on our co-evolution with canines it's not surprising that dogs suffer from PTSD just as humans do. By acknowledging our dependence on another species to keep us safe during war, Canine Soldiers: The Militarization of Love, opens our hearts to new truths about ourselves, our connection to nature and ultimately what it means to be human.