Farthing relaxes with Nowzad in Afghanistan's Helmand province in 2006.
Quote:
Staff Sgt. Edwin Caba served in Afghanistan for nearly three years. Like his fellow soldiers, he longed for a sense of normalcy during his tours.
"We'd spend hours not sleeping, and rushing to eat meals, and staying on guard," said Caba, 26.
When a litter of puppies was born on the base where Caba served, the animals provided just the relief he needed.
"You walk in, and the dogs are wagging their tails, jumping on your legs and so excited to see you," Caba said. "You forget that you're halfway across the world, in a desert, with hostile things going on."
The soldiers began feeding, bathing and caring for the puppies, and Caba bonded with one in particular.
"She was sleeping on her back, with her mouth wide open, her tongue out a little bit and it was such a dopey thing to do -- and it's just like me," said Caba, who named the dog Cadence. "So I kind of knew that was it for me."
But a few months later, the soldiers' tour was coming to an end. Determined not to leave the dogs behind, they searched for a way to get them to America.
That's when Caba was connected with Nowzad Dogs. Since 2007, the organization has reunited hundreds of soldiers with the stray dogs and cats they rescued while serving on the front lines.
"On every single street corner in Kabul you will find stray dogs," said Pen Farthing, a former Royal Marine sergeant who founded the nonprofit. "To be able to get that animal home to them, it closes the loop. ... They don't want to just abandon that animal."
Bless his heart (Pen Farthing -- Daddy ) for connecting these wonderful creatures to the people who want to care and love them. Hero for the doggies!!