Soldier, Pup Rescued Each Other In Afghanistan, But Need Help

ALEDO, TX — A soldier who crawled 50 feet down a medical waste pit to save a trapped puppy while deployed in Afghanistan doesn’t want to leave the dog behind when he returns to his home in Aledo, Texas, next month. But getting Mimi home is complicated and costly.

Mimi and U.S. Army Spec Zachery McEntire bonded after he rescued her from the burn pit. She is the “brightest part of his day and the most comforting part of his night,” said Paws of War, which is leading the effort to make sure the two stay together.

The organization has teamed with the group Nowzad Dogs in Afghanistan to assist with the complex task of getting Mimi to the United States. It costs about $6,000 — a hefty sum for the soldier. That cost covers quarantine, necessary veterinary care, paperwork and transport charges.

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“Mimi is very special to Zack, and we will do everything we can to help keep them together,” Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, a volunteer organization that provides assistance to military service members to help them keep their pets, said in a news release. “However, bringing a dog from Afghanistan back to the United States is challenging and costly. We can’t do it without the help of the public.”

Mimi is scheduled to arrive at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York City next month. If everyone chips in “a little bit each,” the goal is easily met, said Paws of War, which also provides service and therapy dogs to veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

“We are committed to helping our soldiers with situations like this as we know how much it means to them,” Dori Scofield, co-founder of Paws of War, said in the release “But we can’t do it without the assistance of the public. This is a great way to give back to those who give us so much.”

If the money can’t be raised, Mimi faces a dismal future. She would either end up living on the streets, or would be euthanized, Paws for War said.

And McEntire would be without a companion that offered him a sense of peace and comfort that he wouldn’t have otherwise had in one of the most dangerous places in the world.

“I know that I saved Mimi from that burn pit, but in a way I feel like she saved me,” McEntire said in the release. “I can’t imagine leaving her behind. We belong together and it means a lot to me to be able to take her home to Texas with me.”

Donations may be made online to ensure that McEntire and Mimi stay together.

Photos courtesy of Paws for War