Dear Readers,
Memorial Day was last week and if you’re like me, you were well aware that our young men and women continue to be in harms way, risking their lives to keep us safe each and every day.
I have a story to share with you. It is a story of courage, devotion, love, and hope and is told to me by Sgt. Christopher Duke.
While Chris is now “stateside,” part of his heart is still thousands of miles away in Afghanistan with Rufus.
The story begins on February 11, 2010, after another blistering hot day, fifty soldiers were trying to unwind from this horrible war of cruelty, fanaticism, and uncertainty. Some of the soldiers played cards. Others wrote letters or simply talked while idly stroking the head of one of the company’s dogs. Others just tried to sleep.
Chris sat at the computer in the barracks about seventy-five feet from the door. No one was aware that Death had come into the camp…no one but the dogs that is. Rufus lunged forward before the suicide bomber could reach the barracks, biting him in the leg. Target (who was pregnant) and Sasha also attacked and barked furiously to alert the troops. The suicide bomber never made it to the living quarters. Startled by the dogs, he blew himself up before he reached his destination but fatally injured Sasha and seriously injured Rufus and Target.
Meanwhile, the hallway channeled the blast towards Chris “blowing the doors off their hinges and shattering windows.” Chris was hit by shrapnel in his left arm, left leg, left rib cage and small fragments in the side of his very handsome face. Chris and four other soldiers had to be medivaced to hospital. But thanks to Sasha, Rufus and Target, all of the fifty soldiers survived!
When Chris returned to the base, he cared for Rufus, gently cleansing his wounds and nursing him back to health. When Chris was on guard at night, Rufus made sure to stay close by his side.
Chris and Rufus developed a very deep bond. As Chris told me, “Having grown up on a farm, I have always had a huge love for dogs, but nothing like I have for Rufus. There isn’t a doubt in my mind that Rufus saved my life. The time came for me to return home and I had to leave Rufus behind. But we are so close to getting him back to the states. Once he returns, he will come to live with me at my five acre home. I plan on seeing to it that Rufus is treated like the hero he is for the rest of his life.”
Readers, if you’re anything like me, you want to get involved and help bring Rufus, Target, and Target’s and Sasha’s puppies home. Sasha sacrificed her life, the least we can do is bring her baby to America.
This is where Anna Maria comes in. It costs about three thousand dollars per dog to bring them home. So Maria has started “Rescue Puppy Mission.”
Anna Maria’s boyfriend (also named Chris) is still in Afghanistan. This is what Anna Maria told me: “These dogs are the only sense of normalcy that our soldiers experience. Our soldiers feed these dogs from their own plates, care for them on a daily basis and treat them as if they were their own. I don’t hear from Chris very often but when I do, you can hear a smile on his face…his voice just lights up when he talks about these puppies. I am currently in the process of raising money to help get these little pups home. While juggling work and school, I have been fundraising by selling candles and running an online raffle to help rescue these animals. The more we raise, the more animals we can rescue.”
Readers, I think this would be a wonderful girl scout and boy scout project! And Teachers, wouldn’t this be a great class project?
If you would like to contribute and/or write to these brave soldiers, here is all the contact information.
Anna Maria Cannan
207-316-8023
Checks can be made out to Puppy Rescue Mission and sent to:
Anna Maria Cannan
149 19th Avenue
Madawaska, ME 04756
Dog food and letters can be sent to:
Christopher J Chiasson
TF Avalanche B / 3-172 IN
FOB Gardez / COP Dand Patan / ABP2
APO AE 09354
Donation website:is:
puppyrescuemission.chipin.com
Sgt. Christopher Duke
gabulldawg83@yahoo.com
Please visit a shelter and adopt.
Remember, Your Best Friend Is Waiting…
