NY soldiers reunited with dogs they rescued while serving in the Middle East

BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — At a hotel in Downtown Brooklyn, it was a moment to celebrate as four soldiers were reunited with five of the puppies they rescued after they were found with no mother in sight.

As seen in photos from their Middle East base, they cared for the pups until they could no longer stay at the military outpost. They reached out to an organization — Paws of War — which barked up the right tree to get the adorable pups back in the hands of the soldiers who loved them.

“I’m excited, I’m so happy to see him,” Army Specialist Michael Branch said. It was a joyous reunion for Branch and Socks, the pup he had not seen in quite a while, but they certainly knew one another when they came together. “Hey baby, great reunion, you remember me,” Branch beamed, adding “He looks great.”

Specialist Kia Garnette, of the Bronx, has been waiting months to see King again. It was an emotional reunion. “It’s like memory being out over there, having him back,” Garnette declared. “I can tell this is great emotional support for me.”

The dogs are all related, part of a litter of seven rescued from an uncertain future in an area of conflict.

“You alright,” asked Sgt. Ryan Kissoon as he embraced Milo and Shilo. They were sources of comfort for Kissoon as he served at the far-off military base. “At the end of the day, I got to see him. He was a sense of relief, of friendship, of love,” he reflected.

The nonprofit Paws of War organization cut through the red tape to reunite the pups with the soldiers who lovingly cared for them.

“The soldiers found them and took care of them,” Derek Cartwright noted. “When they couldn’t keep them on base any longer, they reached out to us and we had people pick them up. They were kept in while we were working to get them on flights. It’s a painstaking process.”

Specialist Naraly Garcia gleefully looked at Hades and gasped in excitement. “Hopefully he likes his new surroundings,” she said, adding “He’ll be taken well taken care of.”

There’s no question that all the reunited dogs will be taken care of. In their mission to support veterans and first responders, Paws of War has rescued more than 5,000 animals over the past 10 years, many of them rescued and cared for by soldiers serving in far-off parts of the world. Thursday’s reunion was just another one of their success stories.

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