Local Group Reunites Rescue Dog With U.S. Soldier Who Had to Leave Him Behind

Through the efforts of local animal rescue groups and many others across the country, on Saturday a U.S. Army soldier was reunited with the adopted dog he had to leave behind in Afghanistan.

After learning about the who adopted two stray desert dogs only to have one of them brutally killed by a local militia group, Guardians of Rescue sprung into action to save the remaining pooch, named Trigger.

After months of hard work, . He stayed for in Port Jefferson Station while he decompressed and waited for the rescuers to figure out a way to send him on the final leg of his journey. The problem was they needed a good way to get from Long Island to Washington State that was affordable but not too stressful for Trigger.

Meredith Festa, who works at the and is a member of Guardians of Rescue, said that eventually, through even more hard work and connecting with various groups across the country, they were able to secure a flight to reunite the soldier and his dog.

Guardians of Rescue posted their predicament on Pilots and Paws, a website for pilots and plane owners to connect with people needing transportation for rescue animals.

“When we posted on Pilots and Paws, we met Darin, who made it his mission to help us get Trigger to Seattle to be back with his soldier,” Festa said.

The story went a bit viral getting airtime on News 12 and other news outlets, which prompted major airlines to answer the call. American Airlines and Alaska Airlines both helped Guardians of Rescue to secure Trigger’s journey. Donations also assisted in getting a companion ticket for someone to take the trip with him.

Although it was a long, hard road for Trigger and the Guardians of Rescue, Festa said it was all worth it.

“We met some of the most amazing people throughout this journey,” she said.

Festa picked up Trigger from on Friday night and by Saturday at 12:30 p.m. the soldier was once again reunited with the dog he had to leave behind in the war-torn desert of Afghanistan all those weeks ago.

“It was amazing,” said Festa, who accompanied Trigger on the cross-country trip. “He was one happy soldier and that's what it was all about.”