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‘SEAL Team’ Season 4 Episode 3: Who owns Cerberus in real life? Meet Dita's sister Pepper, the new dog on the show

With real owner Justin Melnick, a police officer from Indiana — who plays Brock Melnick — Cerberus first joined the show in ‘Tip of the Spear’

‘SEAL Team’ made a comeback with a thrilling two-hour episode. More than the Bravo Team, the canine hero Cerberus (Dita The Hair Missile Dog) stole hearts in the poignant storyline with Jason Hayes (David Boreanaz). After the episode, one question on all minds was: What happened to Cerberus? Will she die? After the two-hour premiere, we find out she is alive but brutally injured.

With real owner Justin Melnick, a police officer from Indiana — who plays Brock Melnick — Cerberus first joined the show in ‘Tip of the Spear’ and became an indispensable part of their lives. Did you know the five-year-old Belgian Malinois has been through three seasons and 60-plus missions? In real life, Cerberus was suffering from combat stress as she couldn’t tell that the explosions around her were make-believe. After all the exposure to the action and drama, it will take some time for her to pick up the pace. On the show, Jason says it may finally be time for Cerberus to “just to be a dog.” He added, “That dog was bred to be in the fight… but I think he’s suffered way too much stress, combat and trauma.” Sigh! Well, Cerberus needs some time off, doesn't she? 

As per the latest update, Cerberus will take a break and her sister, Pepper, will now join the show. Melnick has been training Pepper for ‘SEAL Team’. A press release from CBS reveals that the 2 ½-year-old Dutch Shepherd will be joining Bravo Team next week in the third episode ‘The New Normal’. “The combat and stress on Dita the actor was such that [handler] Justin Melnick [who also plays Brock] came to us and said, "‘This is really getting to a point where I think she can’t do this anymore,'” EP Spencer Hudnut told TVLine. “But these teams always have a dog, so we will be introducing a new dog.”

Born in Hulsburg, Netherlands, Pepper has a training background in single purposes explosive detection and will be a part of the show from Episode 3. What would be her character name? Melnick's pet dog Pepper will have the same name on the show too! The name was inspired by a “special forces dog that died on the Tigres River in Iraq a few years ago,” When not on set, the canine hero loves snuggling by the fire and swimming in the ocean.

After Cerberus, won’t she suffer from combat stress? Going by reports, Dita was a narcotics dog but Pepper is trained for explosive detection. However, dogs do need a break after overexposure to shoot and training time. While fans will miss Cerberus, they have welcomed Pepper with open arms. “Welcome to #SEALTeam Pepper! You will be a great addition to the show. Plus it’s an added benefit that you are Dita’s sister,” one posted. Another said, “I think I already love Pepper.” A third chimed in, “Welcome to the team, Pepper!!! I’m going to miss Dita, she’s an amazing dog; but she deserves to just be a dog! Enjoy retirement, Dita!!!”

Why did Cerberus retire? One fan shared some insight and wrote, “I think we can all agree what's best for Dita takes priority.” Another fan wrote, “I’m so sad to hear about Dita retiring from @SEALTeamCBS much like Cerberus but look forward to seeing Pepper in action. I’m sure @SEALTeamWriters will find ways to spice things up on #SEALTeam. Love you Dita! Enjoy retirement.” Calling Cerberus “star of the show,” a third was still in denial mode. “No Cerberus can't retire! she's the star of the show! #SEALTeam.”

Catch the new pup Pepper in action in this exclusive sneak peek:

‘SEAL Team’ premiered Season 4 with two new back-to-back episodes — titled ‘God of War’ and ‘Forever War’ — on December 2, 2020. More episodes in the series will air every Wednesday in the 9 pm slot on CBS. Catch the third episode ‘The New Normal’ on December 9, 2020.