Many soldiers stationed overseas face a predicament whenever they get attached to the dogs they rescue. For these soldiers, it is challenging to imagine their lives without their rescue dogs.
Army Specialist Ken Wyrsch is no stranger to this feeling after meeting a dog named Ollie. At that time, Ken was stationed to fight alongside a Kurdish military outfit in Iraq. In one of his missions, Ken stumbled upon the stray dog and quickly developed a rapport with him.
The army specialist decided to bring the dog to their base and Ollie soon became the base’s unofficial mascot. But like any other mission, Ken’s deployment in Iraq was not forever. When he heard about the base’s closure, Ken got worried about Ollie’s life.
With the base’s shutting down, Ken also had to go home to his hometown in San Francisco. It was a difficult phase in Ken’s life because he already built happy memories with Ollie.
But since he had no choice, Ken left the dog in Iraq. At first, the army specialist looked for other options to bring Ollie with him to the United States. However, military regulations are clear that it prohibits dogs from joining official transportation of the military.
When Ken arrived in San Francisco, he could still not forget about Ollie. Fortunately, he found an organization that helps veterans get reunited with the dogs they meet during the mission.
Ken immediately contacted ASPCA International and asked if the organization could help him with Ollie. The army specialist received an affirmative response from the organization. The organization even promised Ken that he would not spend any penny for the reunion.
ASPCA delivered on their promise and took Ollie on a trip to San Francisco. When the dog was let out of his travel crate, he immediately jumped all over Ken. Meanwhile, Ken could not stop thanking ASPCA for their benevolence.
Credits to KPIX CBS SF Bay Area.
