Military Couple Helps Care For Pets of Deployed Soldiers (And You Can Too)
Military Couple Helps Care For Pets of Deployed Soldiers (And You Can Too)
NewsUSAby McKinley Corbley - Nov 15, 2017
Asking the neighbors to feed your dog while you’re on vacation for the weekend is one thing – it is quite another thing trying to find someone who can watch your dogs while you are deployed overseas for six months.
Luckily, there is an organization that does just that.
Capt. Alisa Sieber-Johnson and Lt. Shawn Johnson first adopted their beloved pup JD shortly after they got married. Then, at the same time that Sieber-Johnson was deployed to Quantico, Virginia for six months of marine training, Johnson was told that he would be shipping out with the Navy.
Though the San Diego-based couple found a foster family to look after JD, they considered how often military pet owners must be forced to search for places to house their pets while on active duty.
This is why Alisa and Shawn launched Dogs on Deployment: a nonprofit that pairs civilian foster homes with the pets of military members while they are away on duty.
Since the service was first started six years ago, over 1,100 dogs, cats, birds, reptiles, and critters have found temporary homes with volunteer boarders during their parents’ service.
Additionally, the organization has given away almost $400,000 in grants to military families for such pet-related expenses as emergency veterinary treatment or spay and neuter services.
“DoD brings together two of America’s loves: our support for our troops and love for our pets,” Sieber-Johnson told TODAY. “It’s spread 100 percent through word-of-mouth. There’s no other organization doing what we’re doing.”
If you want to volunteer as a boarder, donate to the organization, or find a temporary home for your pet while you are on active duty, you can check out the Dogs on Deployment website for more information.
https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/military-couple-helps-care-pets-deployed-soldiers-can/
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If you want to volunteer as a boarder, donate to the organization, or find a temporary home for your pet while you are on active duty, you can check out the Dogs on Deployment website for more information.
What a great organization. Loved the story and the work that they are doing.
Thank you for commenting Kavika. I've posted several "good news" stories the last week or so and they generally get little to no attention.
When my friend was sent overseas for 2 years she asked me to keep her pet. I don't know whether this organization was established back in 2006 but it gave her piece of mind knowing a member of her family was being well taken care of. When she returned I was sad that I had to give him back. hahahahaha
There are other organizations that do the same thing. While i was in the hospital for heart surgery earlier this year, a group called " GUARDIAN ANGELS FOR SOLDIERS PETS" arranged for foster care for my dogs. When the foster was no longer able to care for them, they paid the kennel fees until I got out.
I'm happy to hear you're back with your dogs. I bet they were so excited to see you when you got home. Thanks for sharing another organizations information. It's good to have choices.