Profile: Honor
Gender: Male
Rescue Date: 3/4/11
Mission Number: 85
Story:
"Just recently Operation Baghdad Pups saved my boy Honor. He is home as of today, and is already being spoiled.
In October 2010, I was having a very bad day. As I was going out of the gate of one of the areas my security team was in charge of, a beautiful yellow lab was just standing there. Nobody had ever seen him before in the area. He walked right up to me and pressed his head up against my leg. I let him smell my hand and proceeded to rub his ears, he wagged his tail and walked away into the wood-line.
From that day on, he would only come around when he saw my vehicle coming in to report for duty. It got to a point where I would sit on the ground with my back against a wall and he would put his head in my lap and let me rub his ears and chest as he got to listen how my day was going. We gave him the name “Blessing”, “Bless” for short, because the day he showed up the first time was a Blessing for me; it made my bad day just go away.
I decided to try and get him home since I knew soon the Iraqi Police were going to come through and kill the dogs in the area. After several calls, I was reminded about Operation Baghdad Pups, which I had previously donated to, to get “Ratchet” home. I was able to get in touch with Terri Crisp, an amazing lady who was ready to help me get Blessing home. Sadly, only days away from getting Blessing to safety in Erbil, he was murdered.
About a month later I was approached by an iraqi guard from Reed, who asked me if I had seen Blessing’s puppies. I took a step back and my heart felt like it had jumped up in my throat. I tried to stay calm, because as you know grown men don't cry in front of each other.
I was taken inside introduced to Danie, who walked me back to a bunker that had lights and warm blankets on the ground. There were several puppies who were fathered by Blessing all laying on top of each other. I knew then that I could not take them all but I could save one to go home. I did the one of hardest things I have ever had to do, and picked just one puppy to go home stateside. Out of respect for Blessing and his female companion “Grace” I named the puppy “Honor”. I got back in touch with Terri and Honor was taken within the week to Erbil. Terri personally cared for Honor while I raised funds for his expensive journey home. Now, the rest of you who make contact with Honor are all a part of his life’s journey to safety and a loving family. Thank you for being a part of this very emotional and special time."
Signed,
Donald Shultz
Operations Officer
March 9th, 2011
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