An overseas deployment can be tough on any relationship between a member of the military and a loved one left behind. That can be especially true for a soldier and ‘Man’s Best Friend,’ who may be separated by the call of duty.
That was the plight of U.S. Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Casillas and his beloved Husky companion Margaery, away from each other for six months while he’s been deployed to Okinawa, Japan. Their happy reunion was arranged with the help of the nonprofit Paws of War.
“I’m thrilled to have her here with me. I never gave up hope, but I was worried every day,” Casillas said in an interview from Japan with Military.com. “I can tell she’s just as happy as I am. Thank you, Paws of War!”
Long Deployment to Japan Put Reunion In Doubt
Casillas is on a three-year deployment to Okinawa, Japan, and had been trying on his own to navigate the lengthy international requirements needed to bring Margaery overseas. He would make phone calls back to the U.S. daily so that Margaery could hear his voice and to make it clear that he missed her and that she had not been forgotten.
I could hear her whimpering through the phone. I just had to get her back. I was trying but wasn’t making much progress on my own. I really needed help with the paperwork and the shots she needed. It was just so expensive and took a lot of my time.
Eventually, Casillas and his wife Marissa contacted Paws of War, which stepped in to help by taking over the international paperwork, covering the cost, and tackling the red tape involved in transporting Margaery to Japan.
“The cost was around $7,500, probably a little more. He was not able to financially do it himself, or his family,” Robert Misseri, co-founder of Paws of War, told Military.com. “So we took that challenge on because he was miserable there without his dog. We did everything we could to expedite it.”
Casillas is from Victorville, California, but his deployment to Okinawa on short notice made it impossible to bring Margaery with him, so she remained in the U.S. with a temporary foster family.
Meanwhile, the international import requirements for pets were daunting, involving several vaccinations, testing, documentation, and mandatory waiting periods that can take six months or longer.
“Due to the timing of this deployment and the expenses involved, Michael was unfortunately forced to leave his beloved Margaery back home in California with a temporary foster family,” Casillas’s wife Marissa said in a Facebook reel. “This had not deterred Michael. He continued to call Margaery every single day.”
For Casillas, the reunion was exactly what he had longed for and needed.
“I can’t really express how happy I am. Having Margie back means the world to me,” he said. “Paws of War really came through for us.”
Paws of War not only helped Casillas in his quest to reunite with Margaery. The organization’s guiding mission has been to support active-duty military members, veterans, and their beloved pets in a variety of ways.
Staff members work to navigate the often-complex international transportation process while helping cover the significant costs associated with veterinary care, documentation, travel requirements, and transportation so military families can be reunited with the animals that provide them comfort and companionship.
The organization also helps veterans with suicide prevention, service and support dogs, companion cats and dogs, food insecurity, veterinary care, and other issues.
“At Paws of War, we believe in the healing power of companionship,” a statement on the organization’s website reads. “Our mission is to bring together veterans, first responders and rescued animals, creating unbreakable bonds that foster healing and mutual understanding.”
Misseri told Military.com that reuniting Casillas with Margaery was a team effort driven by the soldier’s desperate desire to have his best friend back with him again.
“In his heart, he felt like Margaery probably thought he abandoned her,” Misseri said. “Living with that guilt was horrible, so we had to help.”
For more information and donate to help support the mission, visit Paws of War.
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