Phoenix is home!!

Phoenix is home! She arrived in Syracuse NY March 13, 2012. She had a short drive to her new home and she couldn't be happier! She is eating well and in a great mood! She is a very playful energetic puppy! She got a nice bath this morning. She is getting along wonderfully with our two dogs and 2 children.  We could not ask for anything better! We are all so happy and thankful!!! Now for her soldier to get home, soon!!  Thank you all so much for everything!!

Days away

Phoenix will be home in just a few days!! Everyone is very excited to meet her.  We will post videos and pictures as soon as she is here!

Phoenix and her soldier will also be attending a fundraiser for the Puppy Rescue Mission
the event is On April 6th in Boston. It will be at the  South Boston Bowlarama. If you want an invite just send Phoenix a messege on FB and she will send you an invite. 
If you would like to donate, but cannot go all you have to to is buy as many tickets as you want.
Here is more info on the fundrasier http://feedmetreats.myshopify.com/products/bowling-for-pups-event

We are all so very excited!! Happy days!!

Homeward bound..almost!

Sorry for the few updates. Communication is hard. Phoenix Was spayed last weekend and is doing wonderful. She can begin her travels home as early as next week. She will beat her soldier home, but Phoenix has a whole family waiting for her here in the States. All donations have been given to thehttp://afghanstrayanimals.org/ She had more then enough donations so anything extra will be used to help the Afghan Stray Animal League with their work. There are lots of wonderful organizations that help these dogs and cats out! We love to follow the Puppy Rescue Mission on Facebook. They have wonderful stories about reunions and they can always use any help they can get!
http://www.facebook.com/#!/puppyrescuemission

Phoenix turned one!

Thank you everyone for the birthday wishes!! Phonix is getting spayed this Saturday!! One step closer to her trip home. It will still be several weeks before she gets to fly home. It is getting closer!! Have a wonderful day everyone!

Thank you everyone!

Tank and Maggie, Phoenix's brother and sister! They can't wait to meet their little (big) sister!

To All Phoenix Supporters,
  Hello again from Afghanistan! I don’t know where to start the support that we have gotten from everyone is unbelievable.  In total we have raised over 5,000 dollars to bring Phoenix home, any extra money that isn't needed for Phoenix’s trip will go directly to the Afghan Stray Animal League and will help other animals like Phoenix.  I am proud to announce that Phoenix has over 300 friends on Facebook!  I have received a lot of positive support through facebook via email and page posts there are alot of great people out there and I cannot ever thank you all enough for what you have done for me and my furry battle buddy. I have received a few questions on facebook, the most popular has been how can I help? Well we have raised enough money for Phoenix but if you are interested in donating to help other dogs like Phoenix you can go to ASAL’s website at http://www.afghanstrayanimals.org/and donate directly to them or you can visit the Puppy Rescue Mission a wonderful group who work with several organizations to reunite soldiers and their furry friends. You can find them on facebook or at their website http://www.thepuppyrescuemission.org/.The SCPA and Operation Baghdad pups are doing fantastic work and you can check them out at http://www.spcai.org/baghdad-pups.htmlfor more information. The other question I get asked a lot is am I a “Mainer”or are you from Maine. So to answer that question yes I am what I would consider a Mainer although I was born in Massachusetts I did move to Maine when I was 3 so all my childhood memories are of Maine. I know some of you will argue that this makes me a “transplant” and not a true “Mainer” but I respectfully disagree.  I grew up in Atkinson Maine for the first half of my childhood,if you haven’t heard of it I cannot say that I’m surprised it’s a small down located between Charleston and Dover-Foxcroft.  I attended elementary school in a 3 room schoolhouse of 20 something students the first room had Kindergarten and first grade the other first and second and the 3rd we used as a gym. Upon graduation from 2nd grade you went to Milo elementary that was about an hour plus bus ride away. Sadly Atkinson Elementary school no longer exists but the play ground is still there and I have many found memories of it. We moved to Dover-Foxcroft Maine where I attended middle and High school. Upon graduation I enlisted in the United States Army. I have served 3deployments 2 to Afghanistan and 1 to Iraq as an Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technician, what is this you may ask, it’s the Army’s version of a Bomb Squad,yes as much as it pains me to say like the movie “Hurt Locker”.  I am currently stationed in FT Drum NY with my beautiful wife Ashley and our 2 amazing children Maria (8) and Conner (7).We are all very excited for Phoenix to come home. The latest that I am tracking is that she is still in Kabul and is getting all her much needed vaccines and will soon be spayed and then all the paperwork will be done so she can start her long journey home. I thank you all for everything that you have done and will do my best to keep you all informed on our journey. God bless!
v/r
SFC MacAlister  Daniel T.

Phoenix's backyard at her new home. Of course this is the snow free version!

Just a Picture of Ms.Phoenix

                                                        Phoenix in her shelter in Kabul.

                                   This is Phoenix, Playing Santa in Afghanistan Christmas 2011

The Puppy rescue Mission has started their own chip in for Phoenix, Her estimated travel cost are more then originally thought.
The link to their Phoenix donation page
http://thepuppyrescuemission.chipin.com/phoenixguardian-of-life

Puppy Rescue Mission

I just got an email and they want to make sure she is covered so we are going to fundraiseadditonal costs of $450 out of ...Afghanistan to Transit Facility 2 and then fees and customs at JFK and then on to the final destination of Maine (approx $350). So as you can see she will hit close to $4800 plus will need the big guy crate which is $350 to get to Afghanistan.

 

 

They have several dogs that need our help, go and read their stories and continue to share them with everyone!

 

Haliah  http://thepuppyrescuemission.chipin.com/haliah-freedom-5

 

Janda  http://thepuppyrescuemission.chipin.com/janda-freedom-5

 

Khatera http://thepuppyrescuemission.chipin.com/khatera-in-rememberance

 

Hecso  http://thepuppyrescuemission.chipin.com/miss-hesco-afghan-puppy

 

Puppy Rescue Misson!

Everyone needs to check these guys out! Awesome people who do awesome things!!
There many more dogs who need our help!

Check out their facebook page
http://www.facebook.com/#!/puppyrescuemission

their website
http://www.thepuppyrescuemission.org/

their blog!!!!
http://puppyrescuemission.blogspot.com/

We did it! Phoenix reached her goal!!!

We did it!! We did it!! Phoenix has reached her goal!! So very amazing!!! We could not be more great full or appreciative. I wish I could shake the hand of everyone who shared our story and contributed in anyway they could. Thank you from the bottem of our hearts, thank you!! Any additional donations will be going to http://afghanstrayanimals.org/mission_1.html To bring more dogs home to their soldiers!!! Thank you and God bless! We will keep posting and updating so keep following!!

Phoenix on the Bangor Maine news!

Check out my mom talking about Phoenix on WABI TV news, in Bangor Maine!!

http://www.wabi.tv/news/27232/maine-soldier-using-the-internet-to-help-bring-rescued-dog-to-maine


To All Phoenix Supporters,
   I would just like to take a minute to thank my Mom Becky Moulton,
news reporter Diana Bosch, everyone at WABI TV and of course all of the
Phoenix supporters out there. I went to bed last night and we were
hovering somewhere around the $950 dollar mark which by itself blew me
away. Then when I got up early to go train someone local Afghan Police on
IED recognition and I jump on the Internet before I leave to check on
the blog and I see $2,400 on there. I was totally overwhelmed and
overjoyed all at the same time it took me awhile to let it sink in I
wasn't sure if I was dreaming or something. So I get on Phoenix's
facebook to try to find an explanation for all of this, and someone had
posted a link to the WABI news story. Phoenix had around 70
friend requests, it was all absolutely amazing.  I am not sure who did
the picture selection for the story but did you have to put a picture of
me with my helmet all sideways looking like a goof ball I know you have
better pictures then that Mom :)  Anyways it was all very nice and I
cannot thank everyone enough. Phoenix is still at the Afghan Stray
Animal Leagues' shelter in Kabul; over the next week she should be
getting all of her vaccinations and will be spayed. I am trying to get a
picture of her there so I can post it for all of you. I am still here in
southern Afghanistan, got about a month and a half to go! I will do my
best to keep you all in the loop as our journey goes. Thanks again for
all the support and God Bless!
v/r
SFC MacAlister  Daniel T. 

The day she left for Kabul.

This is the Kennel I made from a HESCO basket to ship Phoenix to Kabul.  Thank you all for reading, sharing, and for your help. I can not wait to be reunited with phoenix!

Phoenix is waiting in a shelter in Kabul and I miss her already. She will have a roughly 10,586 km trip ahead of her. A trip that I too will soon be taking.

All About Phoenix

I am an Explosive Ordanance Disposal soldier currently serving in Afghanistan and I've been taking care of a female dog we call Phoenix for the last 10 months. We meet Phoenix on a remote patrol base where she had befriended the infantry soldiers at the gate. The unit was unable to keep her and was going to have to euthanize her due to health concerns (rabies is a large problem in Afghanistan). We happened to be passing through after disposing of an IED in the area when we saw the puppy. After hearing that they would have to euthanize her we decided to take her with us. Being EOD has certain benefits and one of which is we usually have our own secured compound on our base. So we smuggled the puppy back to our compound where she lived with us for the next ten months. Puppies can be a hand full and a puppy in Afghanistan is no different. It didn’t take long for Phoenix to start exploring her new home and her favorite spot just happened to be the 12 inch gap between the wooden tent floor and the ground below. I’m not sure if it was because she felt secure under there or if it was the 120 degree heat but when she was outside she could always be found under the tent. On several occasions she managed to get herself stuck under there and you would hear her little whine coming from under afoot. When this happened you would have to go to the largest opening under the tent and call for her, she would then wiggle and worm her way out to you covered in dirt. This process was repeated several times until she was eventually too big to fit under our tent. Phoenix was a surprisingly smart pup and quickly learned to sit, shake, catch, lay down and even play dead when shot by a pretend finger gun. Over the last 10 months she has been our rock always there with a smile and those brown doggy eyes. Our unit has been through a lot on this deployment 5 of our 44 soldiers have been sent home with serious injuries from IED blasts and the Infantry Battalion in which we support has sustained several more. Phoenix made copping with those realities a little easier she just so happens to be a great listener. Having a dog around brings a little piece of home too; it’s nice to have something to care for. I spent countless hours outside with her playing catch or wrestling or just chilling out. She truly made this last year easier for me and all the soldiers around her. I think Phoenix brought a little joy to everyone who came in contact with her. As the deployment was winding down we began to think of what would happen to Phoenix when we left and the more we thought about it the more we realized the outlook for Phoenix was not good. A life for a dog outside the walls of our base is not one you would wish on any dog. This dog had now become part of our family and the unknown of whether our replacements would be able or willing to care for her was not good enough. So through the magic of the internet I was able to contact Pam Constable and the Afghan Stray Animal League. Pam quickly jumped to our rescue and we arranged to transport Phoenix to a shelter the organization runs in Kabul. The process was simple really we just had to bribe a local afghan to drive her to Kandahar and then she was flown in a combat zone to Kabul where the group picked her up and brought her to their shelter. I am truly amazed by the work that Pam and her colleagues do on a daily basis and ask for nothing in return these are amazing people. And that brings us to now. Phoenix is waiting in Kabul until we can raise enough money to transport her to the United States. In total the transportation alone is going to be about 3500 dollars. I know that sounds crazy it is a lot of money to spend on one stray afghan dog but Phoenix is so much more than that to me and my fellow soldiers she’s our battle buddy we have literally been shot at together. I cannot and will not leave her here in this place so I ask you for your help anything you can donate to help bring my battle buddy home is greatly appreciated. I will do my best to keep you all updated so check out Phoenix’s Face book page (Phoenix MacAlister) or her blog at http://phoenixeod.blogspot.com/. Thank you all and God Bless.

Donations to Bring Phoenix Home

We are kindly asking for any donations. It is going to cost a lot of moeny to bring Phoenix home. Please share this blog with anyone and everyone!!Thank you!

Phoenix has been flown to Kandahar and from Kandahar to Kabul Afghanistan. she is living in a wonderful shelter being taken care of by The Afghan Stray Animal League. they are getting her prepped and ready so she can come home to the states! This is the website for the organization that we are working with.  Check out the site!http://www.afghanstrayanimals.org/