War is awful enough for humans, but for animals, the realities are even harsher. Especially for animals in countries where the culture doesn’t encourage the kind of care and love that is common in the U.S., Canada, U.K. and other highly developed parts of the world. But when soldiers are far away from home and lonely, sometimes they will turn to a pet that reminds them perhaps of those they have left back home. Such is the case with Bella, a cat in Afghanistan, and the medic who loves her.
Bella’s mother and siblings were killed by a dog when she was barely five weeks old and she was handfed by another medic who got her pardoned (sadly, U.S. Central Command has forbidden soldiers to adopt pets and ordered animals to be euthanized). The medic who now takes care of her says that Bella is a chatty, playful young kitty (she is around nine or ten months old now), and that she purrs so loudly that the other women in her living area can hear her. More importantly, she says, “Bella seems to know when I have had a bad day as a medic and am upset, as that is when she is most attentive, like she knows I really need a hug.” She calls Bella “my deployment rock.”
The only problem is that this medic is about to be transferred to another base, where there is no guarantee Bella will get the pardon she had at the one where she is currently stationed. This medic is distraught at the thought of abandoning her and wants to have her flown to New York to live with her children and their other rescue cats while she completes her service to her country. This is not an easy or cheap thing to do, so she turned to The Puppy Rescue Mission for help.
The Puppy Rescue Mission is a 501(c)(3) organization that helps soldiers in Afghanistan care for their animals, and works to get the pets transport to their new homes. While they are better known for helping dogs, this group has given a new life to many cats — and with your help Bella will be the next one. I am posting the ChipIn Widget for Bella on the right hand side of my blog until her goal is met! Please help if you can.
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Thanks Sparkle fur bringing this to our attention.
WE put in a little bit. Wish we could do more. We will put this on our sidebar too and we sure hope that enough money can be raised. That would be so wonderful. Sure glad you told us about his effort. Looks like it is doing well so far.
Thanks for letting us know about this kitty, Sparkle! We definitely want her to come here so we’ll do what we can!
How sad – we will have a serious meow with Mum about this.
Luv Hannah and Lucy xx xx
We have added something – we wish we could do more too. Paws are crossed for success.
We do hope Bella can be brought “home”.
Sweet Bella, we are purring for her safety!!!
You’re a darling, Sparkle.
Sparkle, thank you for posting about this! This is a wonderful organization! MomKatt gets paid Fri., so we plan to contribute a little then!
PURRS!
Selina
Oh, I do so hope Bella makes it to the US and SOON! My Aunties Primrose, Snowdrop & Blossom came all the way from Venezuela in their mama’s tummy almost fifteen years ago. They love their life in Canada and I know their mama, Alicia, did too (though I never met her ’cause I’m only eight going on nine).
We are sharing this story. We hope that she can get to the US.
Oh my! I´m purrying to Bella, that she can get to her home!!! =/
I chipped in a little bit. I hope it helps and Bella can come to the U.S. soon!
I’m putting the ChipIn on my blog also. I hope Bella comes to the U.S. and to safety. They need to change the rules about pets and the military. It helps morale on both sides.
The publicist just shared it everywhere she could….
i will be back when I am not on my iPad. Sweet Bella deserves every opportunity!
Oh I am so hoping for Bella to have the opportunity she deserves. How will her safety be guaranteed on the flight..by that I mean it’s a long way. Will “they” feed her on rounte?
I don’t know the particulars of how this rescue saves soldier’s pets, but they seem to have things worked out pretty well, judging from their website and success stories.
We are purring fer Bella…
Aaaaw what a sweet story and we so hope it endzz well.
Can we also chip in? We live in the Netherlands and we don’t have a kittycard.
Please let uzz know.
Purrrs Lars and Odin
If you go to the first link on my blog post, they have an address you can send money to.
We hope Bella will soon be on her way to the US.
Had hoped they had stopped killing animals overseas since some were being shipped to the home states of soldiers. 🙁 Hope the kitty gets here.
Oh Sparkle, this is soooooo pawesome! Thank you SO much for helping spread awareness about Bella!!
Oh, poor Bella and her human. We hope things work out for them. We are chipping in. Thank you for letting us know about them, Sparkle.
What a wonderful story. I do hope the medic is successful and gets the kitty shipped back to the states. Thanks for posting this Sparkle.
Thanks for letting us know about Bella. It’s so amazing what difference a cat or dog can make. We’ll chip in. A really good cause 🙂
Sparkle
We sure do hope that they are able to save Bella.
WE cannot believe that they just kill the animals like that.
It just hurts Mom’s heart to know that they do.
purrs
>^,,^<
♥Abby♥Boo♥Ping♥Jinx♥Grace♥
Sparkle, that is a really neat thing that soldier is trying to do!!
We purr things work out and Bella can get to the US and live a safe life!!
Purrs Tillie and Georgia,
Tiger, Treasure and JJ
I hope everything turns out well for Bella. I know this kind of situation can be very difficult.
Thanks for telling us about Bella! We’ll check out the link and see what we can do to help!
Funny, I just read this story right after I heard on the TV that a local dog park here in Dallas received a $7 million dollar grant from the federal government to add a “nap” area to the park. So lets make sure I got this right, the government can pay $7 million dollars so that dogs can take a nap while out playing, but can not pay a few thousand to send home soliders pets… yeah, okay….
I will make sure Mommie chips in when she gets paid.
We’ll go read the link after this and see what the mom can do! We hope she makes it safely to the US. That’s a horrible policy of the military. First the soldiers are uprooted from their family and thrown into the theatre of war, then if they find a furry friend, it has to be put down? What are they thinking?
Oh Bella! it is too bad that the ary has rules like that! They would probably have much less PSD with the returning soldiers and would save them more money than they would spend with letting the pets come home.
Kisses
Nellie
I would like to chip-in, Sparkle, but my Human has the dumb. Is there really a chip-in button here that she is not seeing???
In other news, CK and I are coming to your pawty tomorrow, but also, yes, I *will* be flirting with all the LadyCats, including all of you (well, except the DOG of course). ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥
We are purring that Bella gets here safely. Effurrybody cross post this story where ever you can. We all stopped PIPA, let’s stop the killing of soldier’s animals!
We’re purring for Bella and all those lovely beings that helps when it’s important.
Poor little cat, i pray it will found its new home.