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While U.S. Army missions may be the stuff of top secret details, there is no hiding what is going on with the mission that one soldier is on.
Protecting his identity so that his security is not compromised, David is a U.S. Army soldier stationed in the Middle East who is on a mission to save a dog he befriended while being deployed.
Standing in front of his camp, David found an injured dog stumbling, hungry, and thirsty. This poor dog had a fresh neck wound, an injury that appeared to have possibly been caused by a person. He had clearly learned the hands of evil people early on as someone had previously sliced his ears off, a common form of abuse among these dogs that are looked at as vermin in the area.
David immediately shared his food and water with the dog but also knew that the dog needed more help. He named his new friend Rukban, cared for him, and brought him back to health. Their love for each other and bond grew every day.
Rukban gave David a reason to smile and became the unit’s sense of home while so far away. But the units are disbanding and soon there will be no one left to care for Rukban.
Not wanting to leave the dog behind after he leaves the Middle East, he reached out to Paws of War to see if they can help David bring Rukban back to Florida with him. It’s a mission that Paws of War has helped numerous other soldiers with and that they have agreed to take on once again.
While it may seem like a true mission impossible to bring a dog back from the Middle East, Paws of War is well experienced at helping soldiers successfully pull it off. Being left in the Middle East when David’s unit is sent home would most likely be a death sentence.
“Rukban has been such a blessing to me while being in the Middle East,” says David. “I can’t imagine leaving him behind and what would become of him. Being able to bring him home to Florida with me would be amazing. I’m grateful that an organization like Paws of War exists to help with this mission, and I’m humbled that so many citizens give them the support they need to make it happen.”
“Bringing a dog back from another part of the world like this is a true mission,” says Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War. “There is a lot that is involved in doing it, including the paperwork, travel and medical expenses, and more. It’s a mission that we cannot succeed at without the assistance of people in the community who want to help support those who help defend the country.”
Those who would like to help keep David and Rukban together, and help keep Rukban from being further abused, can make a donation: pawsofwar.networkforgood.com/projects/56176-rukban.
Paws of War is an organization that focuses on serving veterans, law enforcement, and first responders. They are an all-volunteer organization that provides assistance to military members and their pets, and provides service and service dogs to veterans suffering from PTSD. To learn more about Paws of War or make a donation to support their efforts, visit their site at: pawsofwar.org.
