Dog Names Ending in ak

When Dan and Kristen Hughes started Dogs for Defense almost 20 years ago, they did not know that one of their favorite pooches, Adak, would be a superstar. Adak, a black German Shepherd, was one of their first explosive-detecting dogs and served private companies as well as the United States Army at Fort McCoy, the U.S. State Department (Dos) in Kabul, Baghdad, Afghanistan and Iraq, and even provided support to celebrities and dignitaries. 

His first assignment started in 2006 in Iraq when he was assigned to the United States Embassy and their dignitaries. Adak was tasked with performing a sweep of Bagdad Central Station before the arrival of dignities when he alerted on a vehicle in the area, which canceled the event and possibly saved many lives. In January of 2008, Adak was the first K-9 team to arrive at the Kabul Serena Hotel in Afghanistan after a major terror attack. There were several guests trapped inside, and he led his team to help evacuate 20 people. 

In another sweep in 2009, the brave German Shepherd alerted on an area during a sweep of the Ministry of Agriculture. The explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) of the United States Navy came and identified a mortar shell in the building, possibly saving hundreds of lives. But, Adak did more than just protect people in the military. He worked with Dogs for Defense protecting civilians of all kinds providing explosive detection for entertainment events and concerts as well as schools and other large events. 

Dan Hughes, Adak’s handler and owner as well as the CEO of Dogs for Defense, was with the U.S. Secret Service for many years as a secret service agent where he was assigned to the explosive detection canine program. In fact, he was the first special agent who handled a canine for the Secret Service after developing the New York Field Office Explosive Detection Canine Program. Hughes also worked as a canine handler with the Bismarck Police Department where he was a police officer for several years. 

But it was Adak who really made Dogs for Defense popular in 2016 when he was nominated as a finalist for the Humane Society Hero Dog Awards and then received a hero award by the Minnesota Veterinary Medical Association where he was inducted into the hall of fame. He was honored on the Hallmark Channel for his achievements in October or 2017 as well. However, his son, Bdak had to fill in for his hero dad because Adak passed away right before the ceremony.