US service members reunited with the cats they befriended during deployment

[Catherine]

Soldiers deployed far from home frequently befriend local animals. Usually we hear about dogs being rescued. It seems cats are also adopted and rescued.
The SPCA International has a program, Baghdad Pups. They work to reunite service members with the pets they rescued overseas. They sort out all the complications of bringing the animals home. In this case it was a couple of cats. Two soldiers just had happy reunions with their beloved cats.
The program will bring pets from anywhere and will continue to work as long as their are soldiers  who need to bring their adopted pets home.

https://people.com/pets/spcai-reunites-s...-overseas/

I did not realize there was an actual organization bringing animals home to the soldiers who cared for them. I also didn't realize that any cats were being rescued.
This is a beautiful thing. People who take in an animal and care for it should not have to leave it behind when they go home. They also should not face a lot of difficulties trying to bring the pet home.  A group that has done this before would know how to make it happen.  For two little cats and their persons, this is going to be a happy Christmas.

[Tobi]

It's good that organisations like this exist. Those cats and dogs would have made firm friends with the soldiers. Then if the soldiers had to leave, I can imagine how lonely and forlorn they would feel. They would be back all alone, on the streets, or in a war zone.

This is what Pen Farthing  (from NOWZAD animal rescue in Kabul) did, bless his Soul!  He rescued dogs and cats, and where possible reunited them with soldiers who'd had to go home, or had them adopted to the West.
And poor man, for all his efforts, -and his success in getting many animals out of Afghanistan!! -He has received such criticism from those who say he "put animals before people".
I followed his story and his journey, and can say  GOOD FOR HIM!
What many people who criticise may not know is, there were many seats on that (privately chartered) plane, which Pen Farthing wanted to be filled with HUMANS. But he wasn't allowed to, by either the Taliban, or other governments. That part confused me, but suffice to say it was not his fault.

Yes, many cats are rescued in addition to dogs.

[Catherine]

I feel sad that Pen Farthing has received so much criticism. It is totally unjustified, but it must hurt. He has done so much good.

It is hard for the pets adopted by soldiers. They felt safe and then they are in danger of being lost again. It is hard for the soldiers to leave pets that were their only comfort far from home. Baghdad pups is doing a good thing by bringing them back together again. They soldiers and the animals have shared some strong experiences. They need each other  when they go back home to "normal" life. They both know that the other understands what they have been through. 
I hope they are able to keep up their good work.