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U.S. handler, dog reunited after Afghanistan tour
U.S. Army Platoon Commander Kristen St. Pierre was finally reunited with her military working dog, Chase, in a gas station parking lot in Knoxville, Tennessee. St. Pierre had cared for Chase during her tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2019 and had to leave him behind when she was deployed back to the U.S.
U.S. Army Platoon Commander Kristen St. Pierre was finally reunited with her military working dog, Chase, in a gas station parking lot in Knoxville, Tennessee. St. Pierre had cared for Chase during her tour of duty in Afghanistan in 2019 and had to leave him behind when she was deployed back to the U.S.
In the aftermath of the fall of Afghanistan, when American soldiers were leaving and Afghans were fleeing, Chase went missing and Kristen St. Pierre had no knowledge of his location until November.
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St. Pierre’s search for Chase was made possible by a twist of social media fate and the determination of Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, the American founder of Kabul Small Animal Rescue. St. Pierre saw a picture of Chase on the rescue’s social media page and immediately contacted Maxwell-Jones to adopt him.
Pierre came across Kabul Small Animal Rescue’s social media page and saw a picture of Chase, she contacted the organization to adopt him, and along with Maxwell-Jones, they devised a plan to bring Chase back to the U.S. Nevertheless, the process was challenging as Maxwell-Jones had to comply with the Taliban government’s regulations to get Chase microchipped, revaccinated, tested for rabies, and subjected to other blood tests. Additionally, she needed to obtain export permits from several ministries and the border police before transporting Chase to Dubai and arranging his flight to D.C.
Kabul Small Animal Rescue was established by Maxwell-Jones and is the only animal rescue organization in Afghanistan. She, along with her 85 staff, takes care of numerous animals, including 250 dogs, approximately 70 cats, four tortoises, four chickens, seven sheep, and three peacocks. The organization collaborates with the Taliban government to secure export permits for rescued animals and conducts disease testing before flying them out of the country. The process is challenging and tiring, but Maxwell-Jones persists because she values the lives of animals as much as any other life.
Chase is currently adapting to his new residence at Fort Benning, Georgia, where Kristen St. Pierre and her spouse live. The dog still retains faith in humans and relishes having his belly rubbed, according to St. Pierre. She finds it surreal that Chase made it to the United States and believes it demonstrates that humanity endures in Afghanistan.
