“Man’s best friend” is the commonly known phrase for dogs and it is certainly fitting. Dogs are one of the best friend’s that you can have and one soldier that was stationed out in Afghanistan learned that quickly. Your heart will break at the story of three dogs that went out of their way to save this soldier’s life. You won’t believe how he repaid them…
20. Soldier
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Chris Duke is an American soldier that was stationed out in Afghanistan. It was a stressful environment to be in as he was in the middle of a war. The American military base could also be very lonely at times.
19. Three Dogs
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One day, Duke was greeted by three stray dogs. He was happy to see them and decided to pet them and feed them. However, he knew he couldn’t let them just walk away.
18. New Friends
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He fed them a few more times and played with them whenever he would see them. Then, he gave them the nicknames Sasha, Rufus, and Target. It was a very strong bond from the beginning.
17. Bringing Them Back
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Eventually, Duke decided to bring the three strays with him back to the military base. There they kept him company with their sweet and friendly demeanor. Little did Duke know that they would soon save his life!
16. Comfort
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The soldier’s all sided with Duke on letting the dog’s stay at the base. At the base the dogs would be safer and they men loved having the dogs around. They brought them all a lot of comfort during such a hard time.
15. February Night
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On one February night, however, the dogs would do more than just serve as comfort animals. That night, the dogs began to bark violently and nonstop. They were alerting everyone to a bad situation.
14. Intruder
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It seems that a suicide bomber had broken into the military base. The dogs attacked the suicide bomber immediately. He was unable to reach the main part of the base where all of the soldiers were sleeping.
13. Failed Attempt
The bomber ended up blowing himself up before he could harm any of the 50 soldiers sleeping inside. Unfortunately, the dogs didn’t all make it out okay after the attack. One of them didn’t even survive…
12. Sasha
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Unfortunately for poor Sasha, the injuries that she sustained were so bad that she did not make it out alive. Rufus and Target, however, were still alive but were in critical condition. Chris was heartbroken when he had to leave to go home one month later.
11. Heartbroken
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Chris returned home with a heavy heart, he didn’t feel right leaving the dogs behind. So he decided to write a letter to Hope for Warriors. He asked them if there was any way he could get the dogs shipped over to the United States.
10. A Mission
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“This was going to mean a lot to him,”Robin Kelleher, President of Hope for the Warriors told CBS News. “So whatever we needed to do to get this wish done we were going to do that.” So the organization got to work on helping Duke’s dream come true.
9. Raising Money
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The organization worked hard to get the dog’s over to the United States. Eventually they raised an amazing $21,000 that would be used to bring the dogs overseas. The dogs then embarked on their long trip.
8. A Trip
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Rufus and Target were then shipped over to the United States. They finally arrived in Atlanta, Georgia where Chris was reunited with them. It was an emotional reunion.
7. Emotional Reunion
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It was truly an emotional reunion for both Chris and the dogs. They were all so happy to see each other again. Chris couldn’t believe his eyes when he finally saw the dogs!
6. Disbelief
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“I was pretty much in disbelief up until the moment I saw them,” he told CBS News. So where are the dogs going to live now?
5. Living Situation
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Rufus is going to be living with Chris and his wife. Target is going to be adopted by the army medic who saved the dog’s life after he was injured by the explosion. Chris is incredibly excited…
4. Excited
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“To think that I’m going to have him for the rest of my life – it’s exciting,” Chris said. “…I firmly believe I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for him.” Chris is eternally grateful to the dogs.
3. Grateful
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“There isn’t a doubt in my mind [that the dogs] saved my life,” Chris said. Not only did the dogs save his life but they also saved the lives of all of the soldiers that were at the base as well.
2. Wonderful Friends
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The effects of war can take a serious toll on the soldier’s lives. It is very hard to be in that kind of situation and the dogs were able to lift up in their spirits by providing the soldier’s with friendship when they needed it most.
1. Saviors
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These dogs were so loyal to their friends at the military base that they were willing to risk their lives for them. Chris will forever be grateful to these dogs and by bringing them to the United States he hoped to return the favor.