This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

Please enable Javascript to watch this video

AMES, Iowa -- An Iowa native and military veteran is asking for help finding his lost dog.

Seven years ago, Jathan Chicoine met his best friend, Jack.

"Jack Gdeshka - and Gdeshka means Spot," he said.

Chicoine was stationed at a Forward Operational Base - or "FOB," for short - in Afghanistan, when Jack, a war dog, entered his life.

"He was one of two dogs that would actually go out on patrol with the troops, kind of picked that up," he said. "But he had a pretty serious job of keeping a lot of jackals and hyenas off the FOB."

But eventually, the FOB stopped allowing animals on-site. Chicoine knew he had to ensure Jack had a home. So, he rescued him, bringing him to Ames.

"Jack has a, you know, real healing quality to him. And if we lost somebody, I'd always see troops over there spending time with him," he said.

One of Jack's favorite pastimes is exploring; four days ago, that activity got him lost.

"This time, he just kind of went a little too far," he said. "And I imagine he's probably smiling at this time, but I'm hopeful he's trying to find his way back now."

A post on Facebook quickly took off. With nearly 3,000 shares, Chicoine says he's gotten a few leads. Animal Control officials have confirmed Jack was spotted near I-80 around Newton.

"Unfortunately, I saw a lot of loss of life of our four-legged friends over in Afghanistan," he said. "And you don't get this far if you're not a really smart and resourceful dog, and that's Jack to a T."

So, if you see this smiling, spotted guy, Chicoine asks that you help get him home, to the people who love him most.

"I do feel confident that he's going to find his way home, and with everybody's help, I look forward to seeing him again."

Please enable Javascript to watch this video