Megan Leavey was a hero, as was her dog Rex. Jim McIsaac/Getty. Megan Leavey, the Marine corporal whose battle to keep her canine partner brought her national acclaim, will soon have a tribute in her hometown. You'll get the latest updates on this topic in your browser notifications. After their two deployments to Iraq in 2005 and 2006, Leavey felt lost without the canine partner she knew as her one steadfast companion for the past few years. When Harry and wife Meghan Markle dramatic… A new film based on the story of real-life war hero "Megan Leavey" and her canine partner, Rex, arrives in theaters. Based on the true life story of a young Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Text us for exclusive photos and videos, royal news, and way more. In real life, Megan Leavey and Rex were badly injured in Iraq on September 4, 2006 while they were clearing an unoccupied area ahead of five Humvees. The real-life Leavey has a cameo in the film.Valley Cottage resident Megan Leavey kneels next to a dog from the movie about her life, which stars Kate Mara. He can do either or at any given time,” Leavey explained, adding that Rex’s skills encouraged her to “get on his level.”. Quotes displayed in real-time or delayed by at least 15 minutes. Director: Gabriela Cowperthwaite. If you would like to opt out of browser push notifications, please refer to the following instructions specific to your device and browser: this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. After a receiving a Purple Heart and a honorable discharge, Leavey dedicated her efforts on bringing Rex, her partner and best friend, back into her life. But I can show her examples of real life female super heroes, and Megan Leavey is one. Today, Megan Leavey has what some New Yorkers may consider a dream job: a sales account executive position with the New York Yankees. Jacob Yakob | Bleecker Street Films Kate Mara plays Megan Leavey, a Marine who finds her purpose in life as half of a canine explosives-detection team, in the drama "Megan Leavey." If you have a certain feeling stick with it,” Leavey told PEOPLE on what she felt the message of the film she inspired is. The film stars Kate Mara as the titular character, with Edie Falco, Common, Ramón Rodríguez, and Tom Felton in … [2] Rex died on December 22, 2012.[3][4]. They are a lot of money to train and you can’t just be giving dogs away because people missed them. - Rick Damigella reports | Bleecker Street Films Kate Mara plays the title role in "Megan Leavey," a Marine corporal working with her military combat dog to save lives in Iraq. Megan Leavey’s love for animals has since kept her in similar fields, working as a Veterinary Technician in New Jersey and as a Brand Ambassador for Royal Canin. Megan (Kate Mara) is a young woman staggering through life. Patriot was retired in 2015, and lived a great life at home with Megan up until she passed away suddenly this past September. I won't post spoilers, but suffice to say this is a highly emotional, triumphant film based on real-life experiences in the Iraq war. “I hope people take away the message, don’t give up on something that you love. After a string of roles in TV and movies, Ramón Rodríguez stars in the new film 'Megan Leavey' along with Kate Mara about a young woman's journey in the Marines in the elite K-9 unit. In 2005, she faced a radically different kind of day. I feel strongly about it. The Yankees jumped in after Mindy Franklin Levine saw a TV news report and persuaded her husband, Yankees President Randy Levine, to join in … “I always kept tabs on what he was up to and who his new handler was. Introducing ... PEOPLE's Products Worth the Hype. [5] She is portrayed by Kate Mara. Megan Leavey is a girl from an upstate New York blue-collar town, and her life is going nowhere fast. Megan Leavey (born October 28, 1983) is a former US Marine corporal who served as a Military Police K9 handler. They were reunited in April 2012 through the intervention of Senator Chuck Schumer. Megan Leavey (also known as Rex) is a 2017 American biographical drama film directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite and written by Pamela Gray, Annie Mumolo, and Tim Lovestedt, based on the true events about a young female Marine named Megan Leavey and a combat dog named Rex. Unfortunately, Rex will not be able to join Leavey in experiencing the “weird feeling” of having his life on the big screen, the German shepherd passed away in 2012, but he left an immortal mark on Leavey. ... CLOSEUP: Real-life Megan Leavey … The pair served two deployments in Iraq together. Leavey was a 22-year-old Marine corporal deployed in Iraq, focused on the tasks of finding explosives before they could cause harm. It was dangerous, stressful and high-pressure work, which was made a little easier by her constant companion, Rex the bomb-sniffing and patrol dog. Leavey was awarded the Purple Heart and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal with a "V" device for heroism in combat. Find out what your cat is trying to tell you with a new cat app, Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old, Engineer Creates App To Translate Your Cat, The Sweetest Photos of Princes Harry with Diana, Sean Connery's Cause of Death Revealed Weeks After He Dies at Age 90. Still, life without Rex must be heard. Credit: [1] They were reunited in April 2012 through the intervention of Senator Chuck Schumer. "All the stuff I was going through personally he was always right there, no judgement," Leavey says about her canine partner Rex. All the stuff I was going through personally he was always right there, no judgement,” Leavey said about her time working with Rex. Directed by Gabriela Cowperthwaite. There'll be some crying while you're watching it, especially if you own a dog like we do, but I would rather show my daughter possibilities instead of fantasies. Rex Dies, 8 Months After Being Reunited With Marine", "Kate Mara Enlists In Biopic About Iraq War Hero Megan Leavey", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Megan_Leavey&oldid=1004579277, Female United States Marine Corps personnel, United States Marine Corps personnel of the Iraq War, Animals of the United States Marine Corps, Pages using infobox military person with unknown parameters, Articles with unsourced statements from March 2020, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 3 February 2021, at 08:54. “Look what happened, I ended up getting Rex back, but it took four years. The duo was paired together shortly after Leavey entered the Marines’ canine school, an elite program that pulls from the top five percent of military classes. Cpl. “We were together all the time. He was trained to sniff out a bunch of different explosives. Megan J Leavey is on Facebook. As a lifelong animal lover, Leavey was thrilled to enter the program she worked so hard to get into and was motivated to be the best partner possible to Rex, an experienced, dual-certified working dog. An upcoming film shows the unbreakable bond between a Marine and her beloved dog of war. This ache encouraged her to start work on the long process of adopting Rex once he retired. When I left Camp Pendleton, Rex was only 6 years old, and that’s not that old in working dog standards. Continuing the tradition of dog movies that make you cry, Megan Leavey plans on reducing audiences everywhere to puddles. Highly recommended! As the movie shows, it was a challenge to get the brave dog honorably discharged and adopted by Leavey, as she explains in … Leavey and Rex became the subject of the 2017 biographical film Megan Leavey. Get push notifications with news, features and more. Megan Leavey (born October 28, 1983) is a former US Marine corporal who served as a Military Police K9 handler. megan leavey husband in real life Princess Diana died when Harry was just 12 years old From Princess Beatrice to Meghan Markle The whole process of having these dogs adopted out, is a necessary process, and I understand it,” she said. With Kate Mara, Ramon Rodriguez, Tom Felton, Bradley Whitford. After safely clearing the road of four bombs, insurgents watched from a rooftop and detonated a fifth improvised explosive device (IED) as Leavey and Rex approached an intersection (NY Daily News). The movie is based on the true story Megan Leavey… Starring: Kate Mara Edie Falco Ramon Rodriguez Tom Felton Damson Idris. Coyote Ugly Turns 20: Where Is the Cast Now? Megan Leavey and Rex are together again and that is exactly what the Yankees and a lot of others are celebrating — a story about life and death … Megan Leavey premieres in theaters nationwide on June 9. Join Facebook to connect with Megan J Leavey and others you may know. Megan Leavey, 28, (pictured), from New York, is determined to adopt Rex, the German Shepherd she handled for two tours in Iraq before being injured by a roadside bomb. Megan Leavey (2017) ... It’s after they’re both injured in combat that the real story begins as Megan tries to adopt Rex and give him a life of peace and comfort instead of the battlefield. The Real Life Hero Behind Megan Leavey Opens Up About How Her Canine Partner Changed Her Life Forever this link is to an external site that may or may not meet accessibility guidelines. After waiting four years, fighting throughout those months to be the one who gave Rex a forever home, Leavey and her loyal companion were reunited at his retirement ceremony and left together. It is the bond between the Marine veteran and Rex that is the focus of the film Megan Leavey, starring Kate Mara in the title role. "Sgt. They were first deployed to Fallujah in 2005, and then to Ramadi in 2006, where they were both wounded by an improvised explosive device. Megan Leavey follows the young Marine through training with Rex, their two deployments in Iraq and the explosion that tore them apart. Seth Wenig/AP. Over the next four years she kept up to date on Rex, who was deemed non-deployable after Leavey’s second trip to Iraq but was still used in training at California’s Camp Pendleton, in an effort to be the one who got to adopt Rex when he retired. Megan Leavey isn't your typical war movie; after all, it's less about actual warfare and more about the bond between a young Marine and her military combat dog. Based on the true life story of a young Marine corporal whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Summary: Megan Leavey is based on the true life story of a young marine corporal (Kate Mara) whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Rex and Ex-Marine Handler to Be Reunited", "Iraq veteran Megan Leavey and her bomb-sniffing dog Rex set to be honored by the Yankees", "Beloved Bomb-Sniffing Dog Who Retired To Live With Marine Handler Dies", "Combat Dog Known as Sgt. Unlike many other biographical movies, this one gets the thumbs up from the real Megan: “I’m really happy. [citation needed], Leavey first sought to adopt Rex after the 2006 bomb blast. — Megan Leavey. It was a hard time for me in my life and I think getting Rex back helped with a lot of issues and gave me closure that I was able to give him a great rest of his life. Based on the true life story of a marine corporal (Kate Mara) whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. Whenever I was going through hard times, he was the one constant in my life who was there. ... Rex was the one constant in my life. Tags: american birth day 28 birth month october birth year 1983 military man. Leavey enlisted in the Marines in 2003 and was stationed at Camp Pendleton, California, where she was paired with military working dog Rex (E168). THE Queen should permanently strip Prince Harry of his military titles because he cannot be an “absentee armchair general”, Piers Morgan says. The central story of “Megan Leavey” — a new Hollywood movie based on Leavey’s life — is her fight to adopt combat-rattled Rex after he has been labeled unadoptable in retirement. ... whose husband is … Megan also has two cats, Orange and Cali. Read More I always understood there was going to be some sort of time that I would have to wait.”. Kate Rooney Mara was born on February 27, 1983, in Bedford, New York, United States. Later, when Rex developed facial palsy that ended his bomb-sniffing duties, Leavey petitioned the Marine Corps for his adoption. Megan Leavey actually served two tours in Iraq, though the film only shows her being deployed once. Megan Leavey. "We had an IED blow up right underneath us on a foot … Leavey had a cameo appearance in the film as "Female Drill Instructor #3". Credit: The whole process of having these dogs adopted out, is a necessary process, and I understand it,” she said. “It was amazing, I was so happy,” Leavey recalled, and she is confident it is a feeling that all animal lovers will be able to relate to when they see the film version of her story. Cricket Highlights Baba, Real-life Megan Leavey talks about the Marines and Sgt. Kate Mara Opens Up About How Working With Rescue Chimpanzees Changed Her Life The actress traveled to Liberia with her sister, Rooney Mara, to learn more about the animals. She has a normal 9 to 5 schedule, except on game days when she stays at the stadium a little later, after which she goes home to her dog Patriot and two cats. “Rex was a dual certified dog, which means he was a bomb detection dog first of all. Rex died on December 22, 2012.Leavey and Rex became the subject of the 2017 biographical film Megan Leavey. He was also a patrol dog, which means he does the attack work as well. Four years is a long time to not give up on something that affects what you feel everyday. Megan Leavey ( 3,561 ) IMDb 7.1 1 h 56 min 2017 X-Ray PG-13 Based on the true life story of a marine corporal (Kate Mara) whose unique discipline and bond with her military combat dog saved many lives during their deployment in Iraq. That means a lot to me.”. “ Look what happened, I ended up getting Rex back, but it four! Corps for his adoption film shows the unbreakable bond between a Marine her... 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