(U.S. Air Force photo)
Unleash the kitties of war!
Scott Vanneman, a Vermont guardsman, rescued Rocky, a stray kitten he found picking through the garbage on his post in Mata Khan, Afghanistan, the Courier Post reports.
The 40-year-old from New Jersey said soldiers routinely skirted Army regulations banning pets. (Not to mention warnings about strays and rabies.)
“It’s kind of a good mental health thing to have something, in a bad situation, to take care of,” Vanneman said of his fluffy white cat.
A year ago, a Kansas Army wife transported a puppy named Bella through Kabul animal rescue group Tigger House, though her husband had to get permission from commanders.
It was the second Afghan dog to be rescued by a Kansas sodier, the Wichita Eagle reported. ETTy — short for Embedded Training Team puppy — was rescued by a Marine and flew to Wichita in 2009.
“It is common in both Iraq and Afghanistan for units to adopt local dogs and cats,” said SPCA International spokeswoman Stephanie Scott told Stripes for a recent article. “We have been told time and time again that these dogs and cats can be of great comfort and a little piece of home to our troops.”
[via Courier Post, Stripes, and Wichita Eagle]
