Army Sergeant Seeks Help Bringing Dog Home From Afghanistan

NESCONSET, NY — United States service members sometimes rescue stray dogs and befriend them while on duty, according to Paws of War, a Nesconset-based nonprofit. This is true for Sgt. Dominick of the Army, who is desperate to bring his dog, Jonesy, back home to the United States with him.

Army Sgt. Dominick, who's last name was withheld by Paws of War for security reasons, was stationed in a remote area of Afghanistan when he first spotted Jonesy as a starving puppy eating burnt trash outside his camp. There have been other dogs outside of the camp that eat the trash the Army burns each day, according to an excerpt posted by an Army member stationed with Sgt. Dominick on the Paws of War website.

Sgt. Dominick managed to snag Jonesy, take him in and feed him. The puppy became a big star among the whole unit, which fell in love with him. Jonesy came to feel like family to Sgt. Dominick.

"Now that he will be heading back to the United States, he can’t bear to leave him behind," Paws of War stated.

The organization said stray dogs in Afghanistan have a very rough life and often times are subjected to cruelty, and added Sgt. Dominick is "desperate" to bring Jonesy home to live his life and be a part of his family. He turned to Paws of War for help, as the nonprofit has a program in place that helps service members bring their dog home after being deployed to the Middle East. But the organization can't do it alone.

In order for Paws of War to be successful at bringing a dog back to America from Afghanistan, they work with Nowzad, the only official animal shelter in Afghanistan, and get financial support from public donations. There’s a lot that goes into bringing a dog back to the U.S., including quarantine, all of which is expensive.

The army man stationed with Sgt. Dominick said the unit wasn't sure if they could keep Jonesy, as the ODA’s 18Z gave it 72 hrs for him to get his vaccinations or else he would be put back outside the camp. The unit managed to get Jonesy sent out to Kabul just in time to get his vaccinations, and he was able to stay.

"Jonesy is definitely a moral booster on the camp," he wrote. "Everyone loves puppies, you know, and a few people would love to take him home, but the costs had them change their mind. I don’t think he would have lived very long after we took him for the living conditions were harsh."

According to Paws of War, Sgt. Dominick could be home within 30 days. If you'd like to help raise money towards Jonesy being able to come to the United States with his dog dad, here's the link to donate.

Photos

Photos courtesy Paws of War