Afghan vets reunited in NY with 8 battlefield dogs
PORT JEFFERSON STATION, N.Y. (AP) — Army reunions have been held as long as soldiers have been going off to war, yet a reunion this week was perhaps like no other in history. National Guard soldiers from New York who befriended a stray dog while on patrol in Afghanistan were reunited with the 65-pound mixed breed and her seven rambunctious puppies after the animals arrived at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Wednesday.
The reunion was made possible by the efforts of a Long Island pet rescue organization whose motto is: "Paws of War — No Buddy Left Behind." "They really became part of the family to us," 1st Lt. Joseph LaPenta of Staten Island said. The soldiers befriended the dog they called Sheba after arriving in Afghanistan in January. She sometimes joined them on patrol, chasing away other stray dogs that may have threatened the soldiers, they said.
In March, Sheba had a litter of seven puppies. Because Sheba was weakened from the births, they nursed her and the puppies back to health, feeding her their allotment of beef jerky and MREs — Army issued "meals ready to eat." Later, relatives sent bags of dog food from home.
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Guardians of Rescue president Robert Misseri estimates it costs about $4,000 for every dog rescued from a war zone. He said an online crowd sourcing fundraiser is still collecting money to pay for Sheba and her pups. The money is needed to pay for transportation and other logistics, including health care for the dogs — they are quarantined for 30 days and given all their vaccinations before being sent.
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http://news.yahoo.com/afghan-vets-reunited-ny-8-battlefield-dogs-173912782.html
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