Sadly no one did come forward to claim her but she did form a bond with one of Nowzad’s volunteers, Sarah.

After a few weeks of being at the shelter, Sarah decided she really wanted to send Mari to the USA so she asked her brother ‘Chops’ if he would be willing to give Mari a home.

‘Chops’ was seriously injured in a car accident in 1978 and has been confined to a wheelchair ever since. He lives alone, is very self-reliant, and involved in community service and he jumped at the chance to offer Mari a loving home with him in Maine.

Mari left Afghanistan on 03 Dec 2011 and started her journey back to the USA.  She is now settled in with Chops and loving life in America.

Daisy’s dream was to go home and spend her life taking care of her soldier, she wanted nothing more than to be able to be by his side and protect him and love him and give thanks for the effort he has put into saving her.

Nowzad was able to make her dream a reality when in July 2011 she arrived at the Nowzad shelter.  She was given a clean bill of health and received all her shots etc and in Dec 2011 Daisy was transported to the USA where she is being cared for by her soldiers family and awaiting his return from Afghanistan.

She had been vaccinated, but the records have been lost. After Shadow’s unit’s departed she was left without anyone to take care of her. So, myself and some fellow soldiers decided that we would ensure she was fed, had fresh water, was cleaned and had plenty of love which she gave back to us in bucket loads. She was our ray of light.

Shadow quickly grew close to us. At any given moment of the day, she can be found with one of the Canadian soldiers here.

Unfortunately, the incoming unit had expressed that they have no choice but to kick Shadow out of the camp or put her to sleep once we all leave. I CAN’T LET THAT HAPPEN.’.

Thankfully Shadows soldier had heard of Nowzad and we immediately stepped into action to arrange for Shadow to be transported to the Nowzad shelter back in June 2011.

Shadow was transported to the USA as part of Operation American Reunite on 16 Nov 2011 and she was met by her soldier who made the onward journey to Canada with her.

Gremlin as she was soon named was cared for by many of the American embassy staff until Nowzad was asked to take her into our care at the Nowzad animal shelter.

Nowzad has worked for several weeks now at the American embassy, neutering both the feral dogs and cats that call the grounds of the embassy home and provide a positive distraction for the staff from the constant threat of Taliban attack.

The staff at the American embassy have paid for her upkeep at the shelter and through various contacts we have found Gremlin a forever home in the United States.

Gremlin was transported to the USA on 16 Nov 2011 as part of Operation American Reunite and she has found herself a new name, and is now known as Dobby.

With no mother in sight, the soldier felt only compassion and scooped up the pup and carried it back to the fire base.

As the soldier said when he contacted Nowzad Dogs; ‘She is amazingly smart and very obedient. She already has been house trained (in a tent..) and knows how to sit and shake her paw. She is probably the smartest puppy I’ve ever seen. I’ve only been here for about a month and a half and don’t leave for the states until mid-August but I already have fallen in love with her and would really like to take her back home to live with me and my family. I can’t imagine leaving without her and leaving her to the next unit that shows up. I’m afraid of how they might treat her if they don’t like dogs. She isn’t a wild dog and would not survive in the wild dessert of southern Afghanistan on her own’.

Lucy arrived at the Nowzad shelter in July 2011 and was transported to the USA on 16 Nov 2011 as part of Operation American Reunite

As this US Marine’s mother explains;

‘My son, is a tough guy Marine. He can bench press over his body weight and run for miles. He did 2 tours in Afghanistan and just returned home. He is also a 23 year old kid who desperately misses his family and fights back tears when he gets news of fellow Marine injuries or death.

While on patrol on his second tour, a soft heart contained in a skinny, dirty, starving dog touched his. He took her into his tent and made a home for her.  In a war and a country where there are more questions than answers, her doggy devotion  became something he could believe in and count on, through bouts of homesickness and break ups with girlfriends, missed family holidays and just plain misery, he had a loving friend who was always willing to listen and just be there. That friend is Chloe, the dog that the Nowzad Organization is helping him bring home from Afghanistan to be part of our family. She already has a place in our grateful hearts’.

Chloe went home to the USA and her Marine on 16 Nov 11 as part of Operation American Reunite.

“Gus” was the last puppy left on camp Bastion.  In July 2010, 2 American Naval officers were stationed at Camp Callero in Bastion, and took notice and befriended Gus.  In September 2010, A Petty Officer  and 4 other sailors were stationed at Camp Bastion and got to know Gus pretty well, the dog becoming the mascot of their unit.  Interaction with Gus became a sought after time to forget about the stress of their deployment, Gus would wag his tail continually when the Navy lads arrived armed with treats and affection. Gus was fed and looked after, the soldiers were able to wind down for five minutes.
Again military policy changed and Gus was no longer welcome to stay on the base. One of the officers decided he wanted to adopt Gus and bring him home to the states once he left in July 2011, but unfortunately he found out that his family wouldn’t be able to care for the dog and so thankfully for Gus the Petty Officer adopted Gus.

Gus was transported to the USA on 16 Nov 2011 as part of Operation American Reunite

Except for one.

One puppy bounded up to the surprised Afghans but before they could kick him away he was scooped up by their mentor, former US soldier turned contractor, now tasked with providing training for the Afghan police.

The contractor knew that this pup had a purpose. And as he returned from the patrol to their living quarters carrying the innocent pup with him he arrived to find the off duty personnel were watching the film ‘Marley and Me’.

The pup now had a name and he provided a welcome respite from the turmoil and frustration of working and living in Afghanistan.

Marley was reunited with his owner on 16 Nov 2011 as part of Operation American Reunite

We quickly took the kittens, Scooter, Sameera and Kawhla in to our shelter and started to make plans for them to be reunite with their contractor in the USA.

Sameera left Afghan on 13 Nov 2011 as part of Operation American Reunite and Scooter and Kwahla joined their new family just a few days later.

The dog looked scared and very skittish at first but beef jerky would normally do the trick. Some days she would follow the American patrol on missions and stay close to the soldiers ably making sure that other feral dogs did not stray too close.

Nakita easily became part of the team of Americans and slowly worked her way into sleeping in their tent at night and their hearts. Nakita was their moment of normality against a backdrop of continued chaos.

Again, military policy was enforced and the soldiers were ordered to remove Nakita from the camp – a heart wrenching order to follow when that dog has become a companion buddy.

Sadly, once Nakita arrived at the Nowzad shelter contact was lost with the soldier who had first cared for her. We believe the soldier felt he had ensured that Nakita was safe at last and as a single serviceman who lived on base back in the US, knew that he would never be allowed to have her as a pet.

Nakita has now been at the Nowzad shelter for over a year. Thankfully a contractor working in Afghan, who volunteers to assist at the Nowzad shelter, offered Nakita the forever home she richly deserves.

Not only did Nakita find her forever home with a Nowzad volunteer, but, Hesco who is Rio’s sister and Beethoven’s daughter also found a forever home with Nakita as well.

Nakita and Hesco both travelled to the USA on 16 Nov 2011 as part of Operation American Reunite and are well settled with their new family.