The Marines live by the motto of never leaving anyone behind. For some that includes a dog they have rescued during deployment, and have bonded with. The loyalty from Captain Dave and his unit and the dog that they rescued goes both ways, and now his wish is to bring her back home to the United States with him when he returns soon. Guardians of Rescue have helped other military members pull off this same mission, and they are seeking public donations to help pull it off again.
"Captain Dave’s loyalty to Sox is like no other, and he believes in the idea of not leaving her behind,” explains Robert Misseri, president of Guardians of Rescue, an animal rescue organization. “We know that we can help bring Sox back to America to live out her life with him, but we need the public’s support, because it’s costly to do. We are grateful to be working with Nowzad shelter in Kabul, because without their assistance this pup would not have a chance of coming to America.”
Captain Dave is stationed in a remote area in Afghanistan. He is scheduled to come back home to the United States in early 2020. He can’t imagine leaving Sox behind because he loves her. He first saw Sox when she was a puppy, finding her caught in concertina wire in their camp. He freed her, gave her food and water, and sent her on her way. However, Sox had different plans.
In the days that followed, Sox started coming back to their camp each day, feeling safe around the unit and seeking food and water. Some of the other men had even seen the dog being abused out on the streets. Soon, Sox began staying by their side all of the time, even tagging along on some of their missions. On a recent patrol, Sox ventured too far away from the unit and was whipped with a stick by a local. It was at that time that Captain Dave knew he could never leave her behind to fend for herself.
“The bond I have with Sox is something I didn’t expect, but I just can’t leave her behind,” says Captain Dave. “If I don’t bring her home with me I am afraid I’ll always regret it and wonder about what happened to her. I appreciate any assistance people can give in helping me to bring her home with me.”
Relocating a dog from the Middle East to America can be done, but it comes at a high cost. Along with paying fees to allow the dog to leave, there is medical care, airfare, and other relocation expenses involved. Those would like to give a donation to help bring Sox home with Captain Dave can log online: https://guardiansofrescue.networkforgood.com/projects/88403-sox.
Guardians of Rescue provides assistance to animals out on the streets and investigates animal cruelty cases. They are located in New York and they help animals in many places around the country. They are also instrumental in helping military members with their pets. To learn more, get involved, or to make a donation to support the Guardians of Rescue, log onto www.guardiansofrescue.org.
