US soldiers hope these dogs of war will make it safely to America.
In late December, a group of US Army soldiers in the Mideast heard frantic yelps.
The American dogfaces discovered two puppies were drowning in an oil pit that was used to service vehicles.
The soldiers first noticed a litter of five puppies a few weeks earlier.
“It was cold and raining, and they were running around near the compound looking for anything they could eat,” said a US Navy veteran named Smith.
The names of the soldiers and their location cannot be revealed by the military.
“We gave them milk and scraps of tuna, but they were too timid to come close.”
But everything changed after the oil-pit rescue.
The Canaan-mix pups are about 5 months old now, and still hanging around the base. To keep them safe an American charity is trying to get them to the US.
“With conditions changing on the ground every day, and flights getting canceled globally, it is taking more time and more money to do each rescue,” said Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, an organization that reunites military personnel with the cats and dogs they rescue while serving overseas.
The organization is currently trying to relocate a total of 30 animals to the US, mostly rescued from the Middle East, with each case costing up to $10,000.
Misseri estimates it could take about two months for this litter to make it to the US. Five different flights it had booked for them have already been cancelled because of the ongoing war in Iran.
“With our troops putting their lives on the line for our country, we will do everything possible to make these rescues happen,” said Misseri.
“It would be a huge relief for the litter to make it safely to America,” said Sgt Lee, one of the soldiers at the Mideast base who helped rescue the pups.
She’s looking forward to being back in the US after her tour with Akila, one of the puppies she hopes to adopt.
“I just want to spoil my puppy, and let her experience being a real puppy, not fighting to stay alive.”