Séamus Ó Fianghusa, his family, and Mattie the dog are, well, one big happy family again.
"The big moment finally came. K9 Mattie is now officially ours, at home in Old Bridge, New Jersey. I went to pick her up, and she was waiting in her crate," said Seamus.
The big moment has been a few years coming.
Said Seamus: "I called out her name - in Irish, the only language I have ever spoken to her - and after a second of seeming disbelief on her part, she started crying.
"She knew it was Daddy and when I let her out of the crate, the embrace was so incredibly tight and loving... It was one of those rare, magical moments in life that no money can buy, that no words can properly express.
"When she came home, she integrated right back in. Despite the passage of time, she got right back into it. Mattie interacted in individual ways with each of us, as she always had. She acted like she had never left - Mattie knew she was home.
"The saga which started three years and three months ago is finally over. I am deeply committed to appreciating every single moment we have with her for the rest of her doggy life."
Seamus, his wife Deirdre, and daughters Áine and Olivia, battled to have Mattie return to New Jersey to enjoy a well earned retirement. There was considerable media interest so the family released a statement: "We are thrilled to announce that K9 Mattie will be spending her retirement with us. Mattie recently retired from her work with MSA Security as an explosive detection canine. After years of outstanding service, Mattie is ready to enjoy some quality family time at home with the Fennessys. We thank MSA Security for allowing us to reunite with Mattie and we look forward to many years together."
Added Seamus: "In a world with so much going wrong, this is something that eventually went right. St. Jude answered our prayers.
Seamus Fennessy is familiar to Echo readers.
He is probably the only member of the United States Army who patrolled the mountains and valleys of Afghanistan thinking infantry tactics in Irish. Séamus Ó Fianghusa is his name As Gaeilge. He is a former Irish Echo 40 Under 40 Award winner.
Seamus, a staff sergeant in the Army National Guard - and a familiar figure In St. Patrick's Cathedral and in the parade on St. Patrick's Day - once worked for the security company along with Mattie, a Black Labrador.
Suffice it to say, what Seamus considered was the right moment for Mattie to retire diverged from MSA's thinking.
There were stories in the press, fundraisers and petitions. All eventually worked and the once conflicting views as to when Mattie should be retired have now converged.
And Mattie is, indeed, finally home.
