While U.S. Lance Corporal Tommie Johnson was stationed in Eastern Europe, morale was at an all-time low. It was in the midst of the pandemic, and the Marines were very limited in what they were allowed to do.
But then a miracle happened.
“Everyone was getting tired of the same monotonous stuff, seeing the same people, and only going to work and then going back to sleep in these little rooms. So morale got really low and depressing,” Johnson said.
Puppies are some of the biggest happiness generators on the planet.
And that’s exactly what these downhearted Marines came across to lift their spirits high.
Johnson’s crew discovered a pack of six puppies on the side of the road. They appeared to be about 6-months-old and weren’t in the greatest shape.
“One of them was hurt, badly. The speculation was that she was hit by a car. She had a fractured hip and a broken leg that was already in the process of being healed, a vet told us. So we were told to keep watch to make sure it was healing properly,” Johnson said.
View this post on Instagram
These tiny fur babies were also able to endure the brutal cold of Krtsanisi, Georgia, weather where temperatures can become freezing overnight.
“They were all below five pounds, and just looked like little meatballs, because they were bloated from malnourishment.”
Taking care of the puppies and making sure they got their heartworm meds and were healing well helped the homesick Marines to regain some joy in their lives.
View this post on Instagram
“When the puppies came, it pretty much brought light to the situation we were in,” said Johnson.
Each of the Marines bonded with a particular puppy with Johnson becoming attached to the one that was injured.
“Everyone kept saying that it was a blessing that she was still alive, so one morning I woke up and said, ‘Well, if she’s a blessing, let’s just call her that.’ And so Blessing is her name.”
Unfortunately, when the Marines were allowed to return home, they weren’t allowed to bring their puppies. That’s because military regulations prevent animals on official transportation. So, Johnson and his buddies enlisted the help of SPCA’s Operation Baghdad Pups: Worldwide.
They help reconnect U.S. military personnel with the animals they’ve befriended while overseas. The group has been able to rescue over 1,100 animals since 2008. They never turn down a request, even if they lack funding. They find a way to make it happen.
“In order to comply with U.S. regulations for importing animals, all animals have to be vaccinated 30 days in advance of entering the country. That means they’ll be in our care for at least a month before traveling to the U.S.,” Meredith Ayan, the executive director of SPCA International, said.
Eventually, all six puppies were reunited with their soldiers, and Blessing was brought to Hapeville, Georgia, to meet with Johnson.
“She was in a crate, and they wouldn’t let me take her out at the airport, but I could tell she recognized me. So when I put her in the back of my truck and opened up her crate, she instantly jumped on me,” Johnson said. “She has a really derpy run because of her injury, but it’s so cute! I have a fenced-in backyard, and she has a plush football that I throw, and she’ll run after it.”
Johnson couldn’t have been happier to be reunited with Johnson.
And the SPCA couldn’t have been happier to facilitate the reuniting.
“OBP: Worldwide rescue Blessing was truly blessed when Tommie and his fellow Marines found her and her siblings on the side of the road. Thanks to an outpouring of support from SPCAI donors Blessing and her siblings were reunited with the Marines who rescued them while on deployment,” the group wrote on Facebook.
If you want to learn more about SPCA International, check out the video below.
Please SHARE this with your friends and family.
