Shockingly, before 2000 and the passage of Robby’s Law all military working dogs like Max were euthanized in a process that began in 1949 when dogs were then classified as “equipment.” Despite the thousands of lives these animals had saved, they were thought unable to adjust to civilian life.

The law was named after a military handler who tried to adopt his dog, but the dog was euthanized anyway. Today, handlers and former handlers can adopt military working dogs, but it is not always a happy ending for these dogs.

“Max’s” director Boaz Yakin and his screenwriting partner Sheldon Lettich took some liberties in the script. Civilian families of dog handlers who had been killed in Iraq or Afghanistan rarely get to adopt these animals and never so quickly.

Reportedly, the reality involves expenses and a lengthy application process.

In the 2016 National Defense Authorization Act, there is language supported by the American Humane Association “guaranteeing that America’s heroic military working dogs will be returned to U.S. soil upon retirement.” The act has passed both houses of Congress, but the House and Senate are negotiating a final version, which must then be signed by the president.

But remember, this language is just a small part of a gigantic spending bill, and this is Washington politics.