Nathan Brechtel, an airman at Malmstrom Air Force Base, will be deployed soon, and needs a temporary foster home for his dog.
In the military, moving is just part of the job. But for Nathan, deployment means that not only does he need to find a temporary home, but that his dog does as well.
“He's a bit of a daddy's boy, doesn't like it when I leave,” Brechtel said. Brechtel and his Husky-Malamute mix, named Keno, have been inseparable since the airman adopted him last year.
But after being ordered to deploy on short notice, Brechtel was forced to find Keno a caregiver before he deploys for seven months. "Unfortunately because it’s such short notice none of my family could take him. If I had like the entire summer like everyone else I'm sure I would’ve been able to find someone,” Brechtel said.
The dog-lover has been working with an organization called PACT that helps hospital patients and military personnel find temporary caretakers for their pets. Brechtel will cover the cost of all food and care, but simply asks that Keno's caregiver be willing to devote the proper attention.
“Someone who has the time to bring him out here (dog park) so he can run around," he said. "Huskies in general are pretty wound up. They have a ton of energy and they need a yard to kind of run around in or just somewhere to go."
Nathan says his 4-year-old pup has lots of personality: “He’s a goof. he’s a giant goof. he loves people and he loves dogs. He’s just a real friendly boy.”
If you’d like to apply to foster Keno, click here to fill out an application at the PACT website .
From the PACT website:
- PACT requires a detailed application to be filled out by all Foster Families and Pet Owners. After a Foster Family has applied to be a foster, an in-person home check is completed, where a PACT Home Visit Volunteer checks the home for animal appropriateness, safety, and discusses the Foster Family’s experience and expectations. Remote home checks require a PACT Representative to speak with two animal-welfare references of the Foster, who the Foster has known for at least one year, and are carried out when the Foster lives over 90 minutes from a Home Visit Volunteer.
- When a Foster Pet is submitted that fits the requirements for a certain Foster Family, PACT contacts the home, and if the Foster Family is able and willing to take the Pet for the entire term, PACT facilitates the initial meeting, foster, and reunion. PACT is always in contact with the Foster Families and supports them where necessary with animal transport, training, pet supplies, or veterinary help, so that the Pet Owner knows they will return to find their pet has been cared for as they would have themselves. PACT relies on volunteers and donations to fulfill its mission of caring for the beloved pets of our military families and hospital patients.
