HSI Special Agent says farewell to Zento, a military working dog who once protected US military personnel, offered them solace and won the Army Commendation Medal

Zento, who passed away this past summer at the age of 15, wasn’t just any dog. He was a military working dog; a German shepherd who retired from military service as a chief petty officer and earned the Army Commendation Medal for his two deployments to Afghanistan.

No one knew Zento better than U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Special Agent Patrick Strait.

“Zento was amazing to work with,” said Strait. “He set the standard for all the other dog teams in the kennel. He really knew his job, and his nose was nothing but amazing.”

Zento’s mission was to stop the flow of drugs on military bases and to support the infantry in Afghanistan, who were eliminating the Taliban and other terrorists.

In 2001, Zento entered military service at the Department of Defense Military Working Dog School in Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Texas. He was trained in narcotics detection and patrol (apprehending suspects). In 2003, Zento was assigned to the Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Connecticut. Zento and Strait were tasked with ensuring the safety and security of naval personnel and families, a mission that included inspecting base entry control points, barracks, buildings and submarines.

Strait said that with most dogs, you had to show them the area or object you wanted them to sniff. That was not the case with Zento. Zento entered a room, such as a barracks, and immediately began working in a pattern, sniffing one side of the room and working his way around until he came to the place he started.

“I stood in the doorway and looked for places he had missed, usually the higher areas like cabinets and such,” said Strait. “The running joke was that my only job was to be a Kong dispenser, meaning a dog chew toy as a reward for finding contraband.”

Zento was aggressive on patrol. “Whereas most dogs would go around an obstacle”, said Strait.” I taught Zento to jump over large objects, like couches and desks, to get to the ‘bad guy.’”

In December 2006, Zento deployed to Afghanistan with Strait as his handler. Their main mission was ensuring the security of U.S. service members on patrol. Zento also served in a non-official capacity as a stress-reliever to service members.

As for the mission, Strait said, “Zento was the mission. I was just there to make sure he was fed and cared for. The dog’s capabilities were of utmost importance. If anything happened to him, I’d be sent back to the States with him. That happened to several Army handlers. Their dogs got ill, and the team was sent back.”

In 2011, Zento retired from military service. Strait adopted Zento, and he spent close to five years with Strait and his family in Las Cruces, New Mexico, enjoying the comforts he earned and deserved in his senior years. Not limited by the 8-by-8 foot military kennel, Zento had free range of a quarter acre of land. Zento also enjoyed food treats that he previously wasn’t allowed to have as a military working dog.

“Zento enjoyed car rides, going on walks and sitting at the fence barking at pedestrians,” said Strait. “To Zento, fair winds and following seas.”