11 December: Girly's soldier's in Afghanistan writes: "We would like to bring Girly home with us when we return, she will remain a Company Mascot and a loved family pet. Please help us to find a solution". Girly's home state will be in Hawaii, therefore she will require a foster home for a min of 90+ days to meet the requirements for a 30 day quarantine before she could be flown home to her Soldier. Girly's export will exceed $2600.00 & require 2 flights before she can make it to the US for foster care.

Sarge arrived in the US on 21 February

17 January: Sarge's friend writes: My friend SGT X has written you about help in getting his dog Sarge home to the states. He is leaving in a few weeks and we will be taking care of Sarge for him until we can get him to the states. SGT X found this dog while fighting in Fallajah last Nov. The separation from the SGT is going to be hard on the puppy, he has imprinted on him heavily. That's why we need to get him home to him as soon as possible.

Wedge arrived from Iraq on 11 February

5 January: Wedge's Marine writes: I am writing on behalf of "Wedge". He came to us from another unit who had saved him from being put down. He has been one of the biggest morale boosters imaginable. Not just for us, but anyone that comes to our compound. An example of how an animal as small as a puppy can change the mood of so many was shown the very first night Wedge joined our family. Wedge had gone underneath the trailer we live in and gone to the other side, by the time I got around to get him he was surrounded by a group of young marines. I stood back as I watched these young men so enthralled with his presence. They were running to get their cameras and bags of beef jerky. I finally approached them to reclaim Wedge. Once they found out that he had had his shots, they quickly scooped him up to cuddle and for further photo oppurtunities. It was hard for me to take him away because it was the first time I had seen such open smiles and heard heartfelt laughter since being deployed. Wedge has earned quite the reputation on this base of several thousand soldiers. Someone is always asking about him. Convoys come in frequently and even after many strenuous hours of travel, many are eager to stop and play with Wedge. He of course is always willing to comply. He has proven to be quite smart. At less than 3 months of age, he has already learned how to sit, laydown, play dead, roll-over, shake and fetch. He has even encouraged democracy in Iraq! When he first came to us, we didn't have a set name. We held a ballot vote where majority ruled. Thus "Wedge" after Wedge Donovan (John Wayne) of the movie "Fighting Seabees".

Molly arrived in the US on 2 Feburary along with Monster.

2 January: (CatDog) Molly's Soldier writes: Molly has been a true treat to the soldiers of here. One day about 4 months ago she just apperared. She was taken in openly. This cat is so spoiled it isn't funny. When she first appeared she was pregnant. One day the crew came in and found that she had had the kittens sometime in the night. All day long the guys were on their hands and knees trying to find kittens with no success. These guys love this cat and want to do whatever it takes to get her home. We have told all the families about your website and they are all waiting to donate. This is a great program that you have and we thank you very much. These animals are the only thing that makes it like home. A new Brigade has come in and they will not allow cats. What I am afraid of is in less than a month and a half we will be leaving and they will not allow cats to remain and something bad will happen to her. From a true animal lover I thank you.

Monster arrived in the US on 2 Feburary along with Molly

13 December: "Monster's Soldier writes: Hello, my Unit was deployed in March of 2004. During our time in Iraq we adopted a pet cat who we named Monster. She is a very friendly cat and she has become a great morale booster for our section. I'm not sure what kind of cat she is, all I know is she's a great friend and a great morale booster. Thank you very much for all the support you've given to the Military personell with pets.

26 October 04: Duke's Soldier is now home from Afghanistan, his buddy now awaits their reunion. Duke's export will exceed $2000.00 & require 2 flights before he can make it to the US.

22 October: HP's Soldier writes: After two months in Country we came across a very small cat that had been left behind in a move across the base. The kitten had been without its mother for a few days and was withering away to nothing. With no teeth and no way to fend for itself, all of the guys in the motor pool took it upon ourselves to nurse the kitten to health. For a week we fed the kitten with a syringe, forcing him to eat. At this point in time we were not to sure if the kitten was going to make it or not, but we had our hopes up. With a little persuasion we had him eating canned tuna, chicken and anything else we could get a hold of. Eventually I was able to get cat food shipped and now the cat that we call HP is a great morale booster for all of us. HP follows us everywhere we go, and he makes his daily rounds to say hi to everyone, he usually gets a treat from some of the troops and in return he is providing stress relief, and takes soldiers minds off things for a few minutes. There were a lot of people here that said what do you want with a cat when i first got him and now they are some of his best friends. We are all finding it hard to leave HP behind now that we will be leaving, We want to get him back to the States, and are looking for help.

Copyright © 2003-2005 Bonnie Buckley- Military Mascots