Soldier adopts dog who saved his life

A STRAY mutt who shielded US troops from a suicide bomber in Afghanistan has found a home with one of the soldiers he saved.

Rufus was one of three dogs who were living near Sgt Chris Duke and other US troops on a remote military base in Afghanistan when they spotted the bomber outside a building where 50 soldiers were sleeping on February 22, the New York Post reported.

Rufus bit the Taliban terrorist on the leg as the other two canines – Target and Sasha – barked furiously.  Several soldiers – unaware of the imminent danger – tried shouting down the dogs. But they continued barking, scaring the bomber into prematurely setting off 24 pounds of C4 explosives before he could get through the door, and killing himself.

Rufus and Target were seriously wounded in the blast and Sasha died.   “There isn’t a doubt in my mind [that the dogs] saved my life,” said Sgt Duke, who was wounded by shrapnel.

Five soldiers, including Sgt Duke, were evacuated for medical treatment after the blast. But Sgt Duke eventually returned to the base near the Pakistan border and nursed Rufus back to health.   It was the least he could do, he said.   But Sgt Duke said he never thought he would see his canine pal again after finally returning stateside in March.

That was when several nonprofit groups got involved.   “The dogs and the soldiers bonded in such a way that it would be a travesty to leave [the dogs] behind to fend for themselves in a war-torn area and the soldiers never knowing what happened to them,” said Robert Misseri, of Robert’s Cause, a nonprofit animal advocacy group. “It’s our mission to help these soldiers.”

Another good Samaritan, Anna Canaan, 23, whose fiance is a soldier currently stationed in Afghanistan, created the Puppy Mission Rescue Facebook page to help the dogs.   Rufus was due to arrive in New York on Tuesday (local time) before flying to Augusta, Georgia, where he will spend the rest of his years with Sgt Duke and his wife.

Target, being flown out at the same time, will live in Phoenix with the Army medic who saved her life.