It's going to take at least $7,400 for one Marine to return home with the little puppy he rescued from razor-sharp concertina wire in his remote Afghanistan forward operating base about a year ago.
Sox has not left "Captain Dave's" side since he helped her. She's even followed him on missions, according to the organization Guardians of Rescue. Dave’s full name has been withheld at his request for safety reasons for his family back home, the organization said.
But once Dave's deployment ends early next year, Sox will be left alone to fend for herself and faces an uncertain future. The one-year-old dog has already been whipped by a local during a recent patrol when she wandered too far from the unit, the Marine said, according to the organization.
"The bond I have with Sox is something I didn't expect, but I just can't leave her behind," he said in a news release from Guardians of Rescue. "If I don't bring her home with me, I am afraid I'll always regret it and wonder about what happened to her."
So, he turned to the organization to help him bring Sox home with him. Staff with the nonprofit say they have helped many service members since 2010 with the expensive and complicated process of bringing their rescue dogs home from deployment. Guardians of Rescue also helps troops provide for the future of contract working dogs, which rotate to different handlers and do not belong to a specific military unit.
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The goal is to raise $7,400 by Christmas. As of mid-Tuesday, almost $1,700 has been raised since the online fundraiser began a couple days before.
This would pay for Sox's vaccinations, 30-day quarantine, transportation to the U.S. and shelter until Capt. Dave returns to the U.S.
"I wish it was easy, I really do," said Robert Misseri, founder of Guardians of Rescue, in a statement. "Years ago, when there was way more freedom over there and way more troops, it was a little easier, but now that has changed since the wind down."
That's why it's valuable to have the Nowzad shelter in Kabul helping, Misseri said. Otherwise, his nonprofit has to coordinate all the travel and care with individuals on the ground.
"Let's give Sox and Dave a very special holiday this year," Misseri said. "If anyone wants to give a Christmas gift to an overseas service member, this is the perfect gift. This is the way to give back."
Donations to Sox and Dave can be made here.
-- Dorothy Mills-Gregg can be reached at dorothy.mills-gregg@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @DMillsGregg.
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