A soldier overseas has a new mission on his hands.
Sergeant Nico, who is currently deployed, hopes to bring an endangered dog to safety in the U.S.
In a statement sent to the nonprofit Paws of War, Nico (who did not share his last name for privacy reasons) described this as the “most challenging part of deployment.”
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When the soldier found the pup, named Mia, outside his base, she was “fragile” and “didn't have much life left.”
He said: “We don't know how she is surviving with what is available to her.”
Sergeant Nico hopes to be able to bring Mia, pictured, back to her family in the US. (War Paws)
“I gave her some food and water,” she said. “She was very scared.”
The soldier prayed for the puppy to get better overnight.
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The next morning, a team member alerted Nico that there was a dog crying outside the door.
“Of course, when I went to see what was going on, Mia was there,” he said.
“She started wagging her tail and making little screams. It broke my heart.”
Sgt Nico, pictured with Mia, said he found the dog “fragile and scared”. (War Paws)
Nico added that it also “broke the hearts of everyone else at the base.”
He told Paws of War: “We knew deep down in our hearts that we couldn't ignore her. We gave her some food and water every day. She followed me around like I was her dad.”
“I can't imagine leaving her, knowing that she'll be alone and without anyone.”
The soldiers suspected that Mia's parents had been murdered, so Nico expressed his gratitude for having found their way to him.
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“She certainly found her way into my heart,” he said.
Nico shared that he video calls his wife and kids in the US every day and recently told them about Mia.
“The dog certainly found his way into my heart,” Nico said. (War Paws)
“They were so excited,” she said. “They wanted me to FaceTime her, and once I did, they fell in love with her.”
He continued: “My son has been wanting… [a] dog for a long time… Our FaceTime conversations moved away from me and focused only on Mia.”
Nico said his family “couldn't get enough of Mia,” and neither could he.
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“She became my shadow wherever I went,” he said.
“We woke up together, we went to bed together… She brought some normalcy to a far away place. She brought comfort to the other members of my team at the base, and it was just what we needed.”
Nico said that Mia became his “shadow” wherever he went. (War Paws)
As Nico's family continued to ask when Mia would be coming home, the soldier contacted Paws of War for help.
Now, the organization is on a mission to bring the dog to the U.S.
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Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, told Fox News Digital that he “can't think of anything more rewarding” than giving Sgt. Nico and his family this “one-time dream.”
“He's earned it,” he said. “And leaving Mia behind would be a slow death sentence.”
Nico repeated that “there is nothing left for Mia” where he is assigned.
Paws of War is accepting donations for Mia's rescue at pawsofwar.org. (War Paws)
“When we leave, she will go back to having no shelter, no friends, no food, no water, no protection,” she said. “She will go back to a life of uncertainty, of fear and of fragility.”
Nico said: “Mia is a part of my soul and she is a part of my family. I can't imagine leaving her, knowing that she will be left alone and without anyone. I pray that this mission is successful.”
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Paws of War has helped bring more than 600 dogs and cats, rescued by U.S. troops serving overseas, to safety in the United States, according to its website.
The organization accepts donations at pawsofwar.org.
