While abroad, a soldier creates a bond with a puppy, but getting her back to the United States wasn’t easy…

SPCA International is a non-profit organization that helps animals all around the world. Many of the stories in which they’ve helped animals get out of bad situations and go on to have happy lives have been shared with you. However, Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide is one of the organization’s most well-known programs.

The non-profit is dedicated to assisting US service members who wish to bring animals home from any location across the world where they have served. This assistance is a lifeline for many US soldiers, as it allows them to reunite with the animal friends who have stolen their hearts wherever they have served.

Patrick Brady, 22, credits the group with helping him reunite with his beloved puppy, Marshmallow. Brady and Marshmallow became friends while Brady was stationed at a US military installation in Georgia, which is located in Eastern Europe, for several months.

Brady was performing an inventory check when someone in his unit informed him that there was a puppy outside. Brady reacted in the same way that anyone else would: he dashed outdoors to view the dog. And it was then that he came face to face with the little Marshmallow! The little dog was no bigger than the soldier’s shoe, in fact!

But there was something about the little puppy that piqued the solder’s interest. It was an instantaneous connection, and Brady fell in love at first sight, as he told TODAY.

He took her under his care right away, bathing and feeding her. He even gave out some immunizations. Except for the few days she was gone from the base, the two were inseparable. Thankfully, Marshmallow reappeared after a few days, totally caked in muck. Brady quipped that he should’ve taken it as a sign, as the dog seemed to like rolling around in the mud whenever he could.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, when they were quarantined together on the base, the inseparable duo grew even closer. Marshmallow assisted him in overcoming his boredom and isolation while stationed on base. They did experience one obstacle, which was their inability to leave the base to buy her dog food. Brady, on the other hand, swiftly overcame this obstacle by choosing to share every single one of his meals with her, which only strengthened their friendship.

Brady had no question that he wanted to adopt Marshmallow and bring her home to Long Island, New York, to live with him. Granted, getting her to the United States wouldn’t be easy, and with the coronavirus pandemic rampaging over the world, it appeared nearly impossible.

At the end of his mission, Brady contacted SPCA International and begged for assistance in navigating the bureaucracy. They assisted him with everything, but there was a snag at the airport when officials said Marshmallow couldn’t fly since her crate didn’t have a special type of plastic screw. He contacted Lori Kalef, the program director of SPCA International, in a desperate state.

While he made a last-ditch effort to locate the crate’s specific screws, Kalef contacted airport officials to see if there was an alternate strategy they might pursue. After several phone calls, Kalef received good news: the crate could be secured using zip ties instead.

It was a terrifying ordeal to have to go through, especially since Brady had to leave Marshmallow at the checkpoint and trust that everything would work out in the end. That is exactly what happened. Brady eventually received a reassuring call from Kalef, informing him that Marshmallow had arrived and was on board his plane. They were both returning home together. Brady acknowledged to TODAY that when he got the phone call, he cried.

The two pals eventually made it back to the United States, where Brady was quarantined for two weeks on a military base in North Carolina. Marshmallow was fortunate in that she was free to begin her new life in America. She stayed with Brady’s parents as she awaited Brady’s arrival. She was also spayed during that time. And when it was time for her to see Brady again, she was so happy that she popped a couple of her stitches. Fortunately, she recovered completely after that.

So far, the lovely puppy has settled into her new life with Brady rather well. In the form of Brady’s Chow Chow, Bear, she now has a canine sibling. They spend a lot of time outside together playing. Marshmallow has even returned to eating dog food, according to Brady. She does, however, occasionally receive table scraps. Marshmallow is “quite happy all the time,” according to Brady, who is appreciative to SPCA International for everything they did to help him bring her home.

SPCA International’s executive director, Meredith Ayan, has remarked that the organization is highly committed to the job they do, and that they go above and beyond to ensure that service members can return home the pets they adopt overseas, whether they be dogs or cats. They even assisted in the return of a donkey named Smoke to the United States. Not only that, but they also run Operation Military Pets, a program that assists active-duty military personnel with pet relocation costs.

“It’s very important to us because, while none of us civilians can comprehend what these servicemen and women are going through,” Ayan told TODAY. “I think we can understand on some level that they’re away from their families; they’re in incredibly difficult situations.” They’re always on the verge of falling off a cliff. And these animals provide them with so much comfort, joy, and a bit of a break from it all. It’s about rescuing animals, and it’s an honor for us to be able to help those who are fighting for our country.”

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While abroad, a soldier creates a bond with a puppy, but getting her back to the United States wasn’t easy…
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