Suffolk's Paws Of War Aims To Help Soldier Relocate 2 Puppies

NESCONSET, NY — A United States soldier, Staff Sgt. Jay, rescued two abandoned puppies he found while deployed overseas. He is hoping to relocate the two dogs to safety in the United States before his brief holiday stay at home. Nesconset nonprofit Paws of War is seeking help to pull off the mission and send the staff sergeant's dogs home with him to help him have an amazing Christmas, according to a news release.

"We desperately want to make sure these pups are back in the U.S. when Staff Sgt. Jay gets his holiday visit home," said Dereck Cartright, a disabled veteran who is the stateside logistics coordinator at Paws of War, via news release. "He is going to surprise his wife and children with the two puppies for Christmas, which is going to be something amazing to be a part of helping to make happen."

Paws of War needs help from the public in the form of donations to make it happen. If you would like to donate to help Staff Sgt. Jay rescue the two dogs, you can do so here.

Staff Sgt. Jay has seen firsthand the cruel ways that stray dogs are treated where he is stationed overseas, according to Paws of War. He’s witnessed the horrible conditions, which include starvation, being hit by cars, and poor treatment by locals. Being a dog lover and having an 11-year old English Mastiff back home with declining health, he had to take action when he saw a couple of puppies in desperate need of help.

While on patrol, he drove up on two small female puppies who had been thrown out over the bank on the side of the road in a cardboard box. The puppies were malnourished, in poor health, frightened, and in need of care. After waiting for a while to give them a chance to become comfortable around him, he made the move to give them food and water.

From that point on, there was an inseparable bond and a mission to make the puppies, which he named Luna and Lejla, a permanent part of his family back in the United States.

"I reached out to Paws of War, because I’ve heard so many good things about how they help military members with situations like this," Staff Sgt. Jay stated via release. "I have been granted a short holiday stay back home, and it will be a miracle if I can get Luna and Lejla back there at the same time to introduce them to the rest of the family and we can all spend the holiday together. I can’t wait to make them a permanent part of my family."

In order to help get the two adorable puppies back safely in the U.S., Paws of War will need financial support from the community. Fees needed for the rescue include medical evaluations and treatments, paperwork, and transportation expenses.

The mission comes with expenses, including complex travel arrangements, veterinary care, paperwork, etc. Many service members stationed around the world rescue cats and dogs and become attached to them. The pets bring them peace and comfort and put smiles on their faces.

Paws of War has made it its mission to help get those pets to safety in America when the time arrives. It has helped many service members to get their rescued pets relocated following deployment.