Puppy Rescue motorcycle charity ride helps our troops bring home their dogs from war zones

The Puppy Rescue Ride, a motorcycle fundraising ride on May 17, will help our troops get the dogs and cats they love home from war zones. The two-hour ride, which starts at 11 am from the Tramontin Harley-Davidson located off Exit 12 on Route 80 in Hope, NJ, will raise money for The Puppy Rescue Mission, a public 501(c)(3)nonprofit, all-volunteer organization that helps US troops bring home dogs and cats they adopt while serving overseas. These animals are true “battle buddies” who are bonded to their military service members and provide physical protection and emotional comfort in war zones such as Afghanistan.

Over the past four years, The Puppy Rescue Mission has brought home more than 600 dogs and cats for men and women of our military stationed in Afghanistan, Kuwait, Iraq, Africa, and other posts across the globe. Every rescue begins when a military service member writes to ask for help getting a loyal animal companion home from war.

Their stories are surprisingly similar. In the harsh environments where our troops serve, animals are typically treated cruelly. Kind-hearted American troops rescue dogs and cats from garbage pits, dog fights, and physical abuse. Units of Navy SEALS or Marines take turns nursing an injured puppy or kitten back to health. The animals return their troops’ devotion and bring love and laughter to otherwise bleak surroundings.  Several of these “battle buddy” teams of soldiers and their dogs will be attending the Puppy Rescue Ride event as special guests, and participants can meet them and learn more about the work of The Puppy Rescue Mission.

Registration for the Puppy Rescue Ride begins at 10 am and the ride begins at 11 am. Rain date is May 24. The Blue Knights, New Jersey chapter VIII, and the Northwest New Jersey HOG chapter motorcycle clubs will lead riders through scenic Warren and Sussex counties. Cost is $20 per rider, $15 per passenger, and $15 for nonriders. Nonriders are welcome, and during and after the ride participants can enjoy food and music by Alternate Groove, a classic rock and soul band, and bid on a variety of great raffle gifts. Prizes include a golf foursome at Trump National Golf Course in Colts Neck, NJ; a private tour for six of the Bronx Zoo in New York City; posters signed by the New York Jets and New York Giants; plus loads of gift cards for jewelry, hotel stays, restaurants, spa services, and author-autographed books.  For more information about the ride, contact Nancy Duthie at nancy@tramontinhd.com or 908-459-4101.

About The Puppy Rescue Mission

The Puppy Rescue Mission was founded in April 2010 by Anna Cannan after her fiancé (and now husband), Army Sergeant Christopher Chiasson, deployed to Afghanistan and told Cannan the story of three local dogs that had befriended soldiers at his combat outpost and instinctively protected them from a suicide bomber. The three dogs attacked the bomber, who had tried to infiltrate the camp during the night, saving all 50 troops at the camp. Although one of these loyal dogs was killed in the blast, another dog later gave birth to puppies, which the soldiers quickly adopted as their own. When Chiasson asked Cannan to help him bring his beloved puppy home to Maine, Cannan soon found herself scrambling to help six other soldiers bring their own dogs home too.

Cannan began fundraising with raffles, yard sales, and a Facebook page to raise the approximately $21,000 she needed to get the first seven dogs transported to USA. Today, The Puppy Rescue Mission has grown into a nationwide network of thousands of supporters linked by social media and commitment to the group’s mission.

The Puppy Rescue Mission receives ongoing requests from deployed service members who don’t want to abandon their loyal battle buddy when they return home from war. As the US begins withdrawing troops from Afghanistan, requests for help are ever more urgent. Rescue costs vary depending on an animal’s size, but each dog costs roughly $4,500 to cover veterinary care and transportation from the field to an Afghan or Kuwaiti shelter and then home to USA. Donations are always needed and can be mailed to The Puppy Rescue Mission, PO Box 1516, Celina, TX 75009. Make checks out to “The Puppy Rescue Mission” and write “motorcycle ride” in the memo section. Supporters can learn more about the group’s work at www.puppyrescuemission.com and follow daily rescue updates on Facebook at www.facebook.com/puppyrescuemission