Lex (dog)

Lex (1999 – March 25, 2012) was the first active duty, fully fit military working dog to be granted early retirement in order to be adopted.

He returned to MCLB Albany on July 6 in a full working capacity, although some shrapnel remained lodged in his back, which veterinarians did not remove to avoid causing permanent damage to his spine.

Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina's 3rd congressional district (which includes Camp Lejeune) assisted the Lee family with the release and adoption of Lex.

Lex was released from five years of active service and turned over to the Lee family at a ceremony at MCLB Albany on December 21, 2007, under national media spotlight.

[3] After his adoption, Lex struggled with mobility issues due to his injuries and approximately 50 pieces of shrapnel that remain in his body, despite treatment at Mississippi State University's College of Veterinary Medicine.

On November 16, 2010, Lex began treatment at Georgetown Veterinary Hospital with a course of Vet-Stem stem cell regenerative therapy, with assistance from the Humane Society of the United States and Kentucky Congressman Ed Whitfield.