Army Sergeant Gets Help Bringing Rescued Cat to the U.S.
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A US Army Sergeant who rescued a cat while she was serving in the Middle East is appealing to the public to help her ensure the cat is able to return with her to the United States. She has spent a great deal of time and energy in nursing the cat back to health, and she is now unable to bear the thought of leaving him behind. When Sergeant Rode first came across the cat, he was badly injured. He still had blood around his wounds and was very frail. He also seemed to be completely terrified of having any interaction with humans. Rode could hardly begin to imagine the abuse that the cat must have suffered, but she knew she had to do what she could to take care of it. This was quite the task because the cat refused to go anywhere near her at first.
She began leaving food out for the cat who she christened Bubba. She would watch him eat this food from a distance until he became more familiar with her. After some time he would allow her to sit near him while he ate. It was then not long before Rode was able to pick him up and he began purring whenever she did. The US Veterans Magazine reported that when Rode was able to take a closer look at Bubba, she could see that his body was covered with scars. It was clear that he had been through a lot recently. The two of them soon became inseparable and Bubba became a regular visitor to the army base. Seeing Bubba everyday has become a real comfort to Rode. The two have developed a true bond that is obvious to anyone who sees it.
Rode can hardly bear to think about what will happen to Bubba if she goes back to the US and has to leave him behind. He is still living as a stray and she is terrified that there will be no one to take care of him if she is not around. According to the New York Post, Rode has said that she is determined not to let Bubba down after taking care of him for so long. The army are unable to provide any assistance because they cannot get involved in animal rescues. This situation arises more often than you may think. If Rode wants to bring Bubba home, then it is something she is going to have to organize and pay for herself. There is a lot of paperwork involved in bringing an animal into the United States, as well as the financial implications.
Rode has been working with Paws of War to try and raise the money that is needed to take Bubba home with her to the United States. Relocating an animal from overseas to the US is a very expensive process. As well as the transportation costs, there are also high costs associated with vaccines for the pets, preparation of paperwork and any medical treatment that is required. The group have praised the work Sergeant Rode has done to nurse Bubba back to health. However, Bubba’s future was now out of her hands as she could not raise the money he needs to accompany her to the United States by herself. There are such vast sums involved that she had no chance of affording it on her salary alone. Paws of War have made a public appeal to try and raise the funds needed to bring Bubba to the United States. This is something they have experience in as they have helped several military personnel brings pets they have cared for home in the past. They also help rescue dogs from shelters and rehome them with veterans to enable them to keep their independence.
Rode appealed to Paws of War for help because she was aware of the good work they had been doing. She knew that they would be able to provide her with the help that she needed. Paws of War rely entirely on donations from the public to fund their activities, and as such they have a vast amount of experience in raising money in these types of situations. The work that Paws of War did to raise awareness of Bubba’s story started to pay off almost immediately. The donations started coming in as soon as the story went live on their website. It only took a few days for all the money that was needed to bring Bubba home to be raised. Donations came from all over the country and included people who regularly support the company, as well as those who were donating for the first time.
Now that Rode knows that Bubba will be able to come home with her, she can start making plans for the future. He will be well looked after once they are both back in the United States and Rode does not have to worry about him being mistreated again like he was before she found him. The thought of him still remaining in the Middle East while she was back home is something that she could hardly bring herself to think about. Now both of them will have their happy ending as they start their new life together back in the United States. The work that Paws of War did to raise awareness of Bubba’s story started to pay off almost immediately. The donations started coming in as soon as the story went live on their website. It only took a few days for all the money that was needed to bring Bubba home to be raised. Now that Rode knows that Bubba will be able to come home with her, she can start making plans for the future. He will be well looked after once they are both back in the United States and Rode does not have to worry about him being mistreated again like he was before she found him.
Photo via Paws of War
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