No Cat Left Behind

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Bonds That Can’t Be Broken

Candilee Jackson

“There is no greater connection than between a soldier and a pet in the midst of war.”8

Introduction

Imagine that you are thousands of miles from your home in Anytown, Missouri, and thanks to Uncle Sam, your military unit has been sent to “Somewhere In the Middle of Nowhere”, either in the Middle East, Asia, or the Horn of Africa … and the “friendlies” are few and far between. Care packages from home arrive infrequently, and Internet time is limited to once a week (twice if you’re lucky) for thirty minutes. Most American overseas bases are in war zones, and sand is the common denominator in everything:  your pack, food, clothing, and sleep area. Downtime between missions finds American soldiers and sailors longing for home, especially during six-month to one-year deployments. Regardless of age or the length of military service, our soldiers and sailors long for a piece of home, and individuals and complete military units find themselves adopting stray cats, kittens, dogs, and puppies … all having been abandoned due to war.

These lonely, lost felines and canines are thrilled to find love among our military serving overseas. Wagging tails, soft purrs and cuddles bring much-needed emotional support to those who pledged loyalty to God and country above themselves. Becoming attached to a bundle of fur brings peace and unconditional love to those putting everything on the line for America’s freedoms. Some soldiers have rescued entire litters of puppies and kittens, and brought starving animals back to health during long deployments on foreign bases.

But what happens when the deployment ends, and the service men and women return home?  What happens to the pets they have fostered, loved, and cared for?

“No Buddy Left Behind”1

The Latin phrase, nemo resideo, “leave no one behind,” is almost as old as warfare itself. Dating back first to the Roman legions and moving forward to the French and Indian Wars in the United States, the Soldier’s Creed resonates in all United States branches of military service. “Seals never leave a Seal behind. Ever.” is the Navy’s motto at the Coronado, California, Little Creek, Virginia, and Honolulu, Hawai’i training bases for SEALS. The US Army Rangers’ motto, “I will never leave a fallen comrade to fall into the hands of the enemy,” is part of the US Army’s soldier’s creed, while the US Marines simply state, “No man left behind.”

According to deployed service members, their adopted pets should not be left behind either. And herein lies the problem: how to get Fluffy or Rover stateside. Besides the obvious need for veterinary preparation and quarantine regulations, funds for this purpose had been left to sheer luck until the problem became too obvious to ignore.

The problem was solved with the birth of charitable military organizations whose job was to raise the funds necessary to bring cherished felines and canines back to their owners throughout the United States.

Charitable Organizations Bring War Animals Home

Patriot Pets began in 2008 under the name “Operation Baghdad Pups” to rescue and reunite patriot pets with service members in the United States. This organization has “rescued over 1200 animals from multiple countries in the Middle East, Central Europe, Southeast Asia and Africa. Through our Patriot Pets program, we rescue stray animals anywhere in the world for members of all military branches.”4

Paws of War, Inc. began in 2014 to answer the call of soldiers and sailors wanting the pets they made overseas to come home with them at the end of deployments. Answering the call, this “charitable organization’s work is focused on helping soldiers care for their pets and rescue the animals they bond with while on deployment.”2 This organization has “brought more than six hundred dogs and cats, rescued by our troops serving overseas to safety in the U.S. We have provided hundreds of veterans with service and support dogs rescued from kill shelters.” In addition to bringing home cats and dogs from overseas, “Paws of War also provides service and support dog training, veterinary care, animal adoption program and an outreach program for homebound disabled veterans.”2

The War-Torn Pups and Cats program helps soldiers and sailors who have rescued a dog or cat overseas to bring them to safety in the United States, where they are companion animals for the service member. “War Torn Pups and Cats provides logistical and financial support to reunite military personnel with the stray animals they rescued and bonded with while serving overseas.”8 Working from donations only, this program takes care of more than just transportation from a foreign military base; it also helps with the necessary medical treatment, required vaccines, and rescue liaison. “While the financial investment is high, the relief, comfort, and joy this program provides our heroic service men and women is immeasurable. We love getting these precious rescued dogs and cats safely to the United States. The overseas horrors inflicted upon animals are atrocious. Leaving them behind is heart-breaking and devastating for our military members.”8 This program truly epitomizes the slogan, “Helping Both Ends of the Leash.”3

Guardians of Rescue began in 2011 and is dedicated to the rescue and safe placement of animals from horrific situations, both in the United States and from military bases around the globe. Because these cats and dogs are not military working animals, they cannot be brought out of foreign bases on military planes. “GOR has rescued around fifty cats and dogs, fielding heartfelt requests from families of Green Berets and Navy SEALs. Family members say that “the biggest burden the service members are experiencing is the burden of having to leave these animals behind.”3

Bringing Smokey Home

Paws of War took up the mission to bring Smokey back to the United States when US Army Sergeant Avery’s tour in the Middle East was over. Found as a two-week-old kitten, Smokey “became an integral part of Sergeant Avery’s life, providing comfort and companionship in a challenging environment.”3 Unable to leave her behind, he cared for her, forming a deep bond that brought him solace during his deployment. “Smokey is a very special girl who has given me a new outlook on life here. There is nothing for her when I leave. It makes me sick to my stomach to think of her being left behind.”3

“The animals rescued by our military members become family, providing vital emotional support. Without their soldiers, these animals are left to fend for themselves, which is often a death sentence. Our work relies on the kindness of the public to help make these rescues possible,” stated Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War.3

Bringing Frankie Home

Flight paramedic Staff Sergeant Morales’ job is to rescue injured military personnel from dangerous, war-torn areas. While on a rescue mission, his team encountered a very pregnant cat the team named Tuna. After giving birth to three kittens, Tuna passed away suddenly, leaving three homeless and motherless kittens. With lots of care, two of the kittens found homes, but Frankie (the runt of the litter) remained overseas. Once stateside, Sergeant Morales applied to Paws of War to bring Frankie home to Massachusetts, where the Morales family was ready to spoil Frankie for life.6

Bringing Mau and Phantom Home

Sergeant Etter, stationed in the Middle East, found two scrawny kittens who appeared to be about six weeks old. Her tender heart would not allow her to ignore them, so the kittens came back to her base, where she “quickly formed a close relationship with the kittens — who she named Phantom and Mau — and they quickly became a part of her daily routine.”7 “Since we are far from home and have been there for each other constantly over the last several months, Phantom and Mau have really touched our hearts,” Sergeant Etter said. “They made us feel more like our best versions of ourselves whenever we saw them at the end of the day.”7

“I’m beyond happy that Paws of War is willing to help us save these two precious animals,”7 Sergeant Etter stated.

A Kandahar Cat-napping!

At FOB (forward operating base) Edgerton in the Kandahar province of Afghanistan, a small group of US Marines and Canadian soldiers recently discovered a litter of abandoned kittens.  They fashioned a house for the six felines by putting a blanket down and cutting a door into an upside-down crate. “As word spread about the kittens, it was not long before a crowd of a dozen Canadian and American soldiers cooed at the squirming fuzz balls. By the following day, the kittens had all been given names, including Mickey Blue Eyes, Fear Factor and Butterscotch. The kittens were never left wanting for attention. They ate eggs, tuna, and chocolate milk brought to them from the dining facility; one soldier made a point of putting drops in their eyes every day to ward off conjunctivitis, and there always seemed to be at least one soldier sitting with the felines no matter the time of day.”5 As the Marines rotated out of Kandahar to their home bases in the United States, plans were made to get their pets home utilizing several of the charitable services available.

Helping Both Ends of the Leash

Stories abound about the selfless men and women military personnel who serve the United States and the sacrifices they make for others. Stationed around the world, these brave soldiers and sailors rescue cats and dogs, and both animals and humans become attached to them. The animals bring our military personnel “peace and comfort, and put smiles on their faces.”

References

  1. Adams, Bethany W. n.d. “Saving Our Soldiers’ Pets.” Animal Sheltering Magazine. Accessed October 25, 2024.
    https://humanepro.org/magazine/articles/saving-soldier-pets.
  2. Dado, Natasha. 2021. “US Soldiers Seeking Help on Veterans Day to Save Trio of Puppies They Rescued Overseas.” People Magazine. November 11. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.people.com/pets/these-heroes-need-your-help-bringing-the-puppies-they-rescued-abroad-back-home-to-their-families.
  3. Murphy, Cher. n.d. “Help Save Smokey.” Paws of War. Accessed October 24, 2024. https://pawsofwar.org/?form-HelpSaveSmokey.
  4. n.d. “Patriot Pets.” SPCA International – Global Animal Rescue. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.spcai.org/our-work/patriot-pets.
  5. Rabiroff, John. 2010. “Middle East Bases Going to the Dogs and Cats.” Stars and Stripes. December 11. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://www.stripes.com/theater/middle_east/bases-going-to-the-dogs-and-cats-1.128367.
  6. Rice, Nicholas. 2023. “Animal Nonprofit Looking to Reunite Sergeant with Cat He Bonded with While Serving Overseas.” People Magazine. November 19. Accessed October 28, 2024. https://people.com/animal-nonprofit-to-reunite-sergeant-with-cat-he-bonded-with-overseas-8404385.
  7. Slater, George. 2020. “US Soldier Needs Help Bringing Home Two Neglected Kittns She Rescued During Deployment.” People Magazine. September 03. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://people.com/pets/paws-of-war-cat-rescue/.
  8. n.d. “War Torn Pups and Cats.” Paws of War. Accessed October 25, 2024. https://www.pawsofwar.org/war-torn-pups.

 

 


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