Soldier overseas begs for rescue of beloved puppy: 'A piece of my heart'

Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, states that leaving a dog behind is a "slow death sentence."

Soldier overseas begs for rescue of beloved puppy: 'A piece of my heart'
Soldier overseas begs for rescue of beloved puppy: 'A piece of my heart'

An overseas soldier has a new mission at hand.

Sgt. Nico, currently deployed, aims to rescue a dog in peril and bring it safely to the U.S.

Nico, who kept his last name private, described the most challenging aspect of deployment as being the part where he had to serve.

The soldier discovered a weak puppy named Mia near his base.

"Based on what is available for her, it's unclear how she's managing to survive," he remarked.

split image of dog mia
Sgt. Nico hopes to bring Mia, pictured, back to his family in the U.S. (Paws of War)

"He said, "I gave her some food and water, but she was extremely frightened.""

The soldier said a prayer for the puppy that she would improve overnight.

The following morning, Nico was notified by a team member that a dog was outside the gate whimpering.

He stated, "When I went to investigate, it was Mia."

"Her tail began to wag and she emitted small yelps, which shattered my heart."

sgt nico playing with mia
Sgt. Nico, pictured with Mia, said he found the dog "frail and afraid." (Paws of War)

Nico added that it "broke the hearts of everyone else on the base."

"We couldn't ignore her, so we gave her food and water daily. She followed me like I was her father," he told Paws of War.

"I cannot imagine leaving her, knowing she will be left behind with no one."

Nico expressed gratitude that Mia found her way to him, as the soldiers suspected that her parents had been killed.

"She certainly found her way into my heart," he said.

Nico revealed that he communicates with his family in the U.S. through video calls daily and recently disclosed information about Mia to them.

sgt nico plays with mia
The dog "certainly found her way into my heart," Nico said. (Paws of War)

"He said, "They were thrilled and requested a FaceTime call with her. After I did, they became smitten with her.""

He continued, "My son has long desired a dog, and our FaceTime chats have centered solely on Mia."

Nico couldn't get enough of Mia, just like his family couldn't.

"She became my shadow everywhere I went," he said.

"Together, we woke up and went to bed. She brought comfort and normalcy to a distant place, and it was what my team members needed on base."

mia chewing on a bone
Nico said Mia became his "shadow" everywhere he went. (Paws of War)

Paws of War was contacted by Nico's family as they sought information about Mia's return home.

The mission of the organization is to transport the dog to the U.S.

Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, stated to Planet Chronicle Digital that there is nothing more fulfilling than granting Sgt. Nico and his family their "one wish."

"He sure earned it," he said. "And leaving Mia behind would be a slow death sentence."

Nico stated that there is "nothing left for Mia" in his current deployment location.

sgt nico and mia outside
Paws of War is accepting donations for Mia's rescue at pawsofwar.org. (Paws of War)

"He stated, "When we depart, she will return to a life of uncertainty, lacking protection, food, water, friends, and shelter.""

Nico stated that Mia is an integral part of his soul and family, and he cannot fathom leaving her behind without anyone. He hopes the mission will be successful.

According to its website, Paws of War has assisted in the safe return of over 600 dogs and cats rescued by U.S. troops abroad.

The organization accepts donations at pawsofwar.org.

by Angelica Stabile

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