War Dogs Team Highlight: Suzette Scott
Current serving US Marine Corps staff sergeant Suzette Scott is no stranger to K-9. Having served for eight years as a dog handler and deploying twice with her legendary MWD, Denny, Suzette has a stellar reputation with her peers and a deep love for this community, which motivated her to volunteer for our mission.
We spoke to Suzette about her career; transitioning away from K-9 and what US War Dogs means to her.
Suzette arrived at the kennels of 1 MEF in Camp Pendleton, CA, fresh-faced and raring to meet her first dog. “Me and three other handlers had been picked straight out of the schoolhouse to be assigned a dog.”
When Suzette was introduced to the huge and imposing frame of GSD-mix, Denny, her eyes widened. “He was enormous, which I was expecting, but he was also an ass and came with a health warning. Denny had never been handled by a female and I am 5 foot 6”, so we cut quite a dash together.”
Suzette recalls how Denny had formed a close bond with his caretaker handler, Story, who handed his leash to her. “Denny does what I call his happy growl. He would do it whenever he saw Story and I imagined him doing it to Keaton too.”
Suzette and Denny
One Special Hound
Denny had returned from a tour of Afghanistan where his first handler, US Marine Keaton Coffey, had been KIA.
Marine Corps sergeant AJ Nieto, deployed with Keaton and Denny when Keaton was killed. Nieto said: “Denny was our last connection to Keaton, so I was very attached to him. He was my Marine so when he was killed, I brought Denny back to the States.
US Marine Corps dog handler Keaton Coffey and Denny on deployment
“His next handler had to be special. I had been the one to pair Denny with Keaton, so picking his next handler weighed on me. When the decision was made to pair him with Suzette, it almost felt like it shouldn’t work, but seeing them together sealed the deal.”
Nieto explains that Denny was a real handful when he first arrived at Camp Pendleton. “He was young and energetic. He used to bite through his kennel and I never fully trusted him. But his power and drive made him special and with the right handler, we knew he would be an incredible dog.
“Denny built up a respect for Suzette very quickly – I knew pairing them was the right call.”
Suzette and Denny made a great team
True Grit
Nieto would go on to witness the close bond that Suzette formed with Denny, but he recalls how some of those earlier training experiences didn’t come easy. “I ran into Suzette and Denny again when they came to Yuma Proving Ground, AZ, where I had been stationed as an instructor. Hundreds of Marines I’ve trained will tell you that I’m a hard man to please – I don’t go easy on anyone and I don’t tolerate failure. Of course, Suzette was no exception.”
Nieto recalls one part of the handlers’ exam that proved particularly difficult for a young Marine with no height advantage: “There is a six-foot wall in the center of the course that requires handlers to haul themselves and their dogs over the wall. It stumps a good portion of handlers and about 98 per cent of female Marines that pass through YPG.”
Nieto recalls Suzette’s impassioned efforts to conquer the wall. “After several attempts, Suzette managed to heave Denny (all 75lb of him) over the wall. But when it came to dragging herself over, she just couldn’t get a handle on the top of the thing.”
Nieto describes how Suzette persisted over and over, until at last, she collapsed in a heap on the floor. Frustrated tears streaming down her face. “I knew she could do it, so I ‘encouraged’ her – Marine Corps drill sergeant style.
“She got over the wall.”
Tours
Denny and Suzette deployed together to Kuwait on two occasions, in support of Operation Spartan Shield. While they were in country, they performed an additional and rigorous explosive detection program to ready the dog team for possible missions across the Middle East.
Denny accompanied Suzette on two deployments to Kuwait
“We did two eight-month rotations out there and Denny was incredible. We learned a lot and were operationally ready to take on whatever was thrown our way.
US War Dogs president, Chris Willingham, selected Suzette and Denny to accompany him on the 2016 deployment to Kuwait. He said: “It was a new sort of deployment: To provide operationally ready teams to support troops on the ground, as they were needed. From Kuwait, we could be called to support anywhere in the Middle East and had to be ready for every eventuality.
“Suzette and Denny were a strong team that had proved themselves time and time again in training. I was confident in their abilities and over that deployment, they handled every set of training problems thrown their way. I was very proud of both of them.”
A strong team
Retirement
When Suzette returned to the US after her second deployment to Kuwait with Denny, she was given orders to go to Japan. It was time for Suzette to say goodbye to Denny, who had become her best friend and closest partner.
“Denny was coming up for retirement, having completed three deployments for his country. He was coming up to ten years old and deserved to take it easy.”
But Suzette knew that there were some hot contenders to provide Denny with a loving retirement home, including Nieto and Keaton’s dad, Grant.
“I counted myself out of the running to take Denny as I had a young family and I already had my own retired MWD at home,” Nieto explains. “Gold star families are always given the chance to adopt out an MWD with a connection to a lost loved one, so we had to give Grant the chance to take Denny. The three of us decided to meet up.”
Suzette explains how she had fully expected Grant to take Denny. “It was the way it should be. I loved Denny but he was always Keaton’s dog. I had met Grant a few times and he was always so happy to see Denny, but when we met up, he said that he had seen the bond Denny and I had formed and that he didn’t want to separate us.
“I sobbed with pure joy and gratitude. This dog – my dog – meant so much to so many people, but I was getting to give him his retirement home. It was a huge moment.”
Suzette went on ahead to Japan, with Denny following behind her. They spent four years in Okinawa together, returning to the US in 2022.
In retirement, Denny quickly settled into civilian life. “We made sure he had the best of everything. He’s such a softie and snuggles on the couch. It’s always amazing to see these badass dogs turn into adoring family pets. He still does his happy growl, but only with my husband. It’s a guy-to-guy thing.”
Guardian of a Legend
Denny is the last surviving MWD of the generation of Marine Corps handlers KIA
Although Suzette was the one to give Denny his forever home, she has never lost sight of the love and connection that others have with her dog.
Suzette’s former sergeant, Nieto, said: “The bond they have is absolutely phenomenal and it has helped me a lot. Suzette seems to know when I need to connect with Denny. She’ll text me a photo or video of him or show up when I don’t expect it. When you lose a brother like we lost Keaton, those moments become priceless.
“Denny is the last surviving MWD of the generation of Marine Corps handlers KIA and our last connection to Keaton. I truly believe that Suzette has honored Keaton’s legacy through her work and relationship with Denny.”
At the time of writing, Suzette has just started her maternity leave and is expecting the imminent arrival of her first child – a boy. “I can’t wait to see Denny with him. He is going to be the best big brother and when he’s older, our son will know how special Denny is.
“At almost 15 years old, I know that every day we have with Denny is a blessing. I vow to keep spoiling him and feel truly thankful to have shared my career with him. He’s a legend, but he’s also my goofball.”
Denny served his country with pride
War Dogs
Suzette began volunteering for US War Dogs after attending the US Marine Corps dog handlers’ reunion in March 2023. “I was blown away by the event that had been organized by the War Dogs team and wanted to be a part of the action. Being on recruiter duty means I’m away from K-9 and I miss that fellowship, so being part of War Dogs is a way to reconnect to the community.”
US War Dogs president Chris Willingham added: “We love having Suzette on the team. She was always a great asset with a tenacity and work ethic that stood her out from the crowd and now War Dogs is benefitting from her experience and determination, which fills me with pride.”
