Posted on 02/21/2008 5:18:16 PM PST by fight_truth_decay
"Touchdown" was the first celebratory word in an e-mail Marsha Cargo received from her son Maj. Brian Dennis, after a dog who survived a 70-mile Hail Mary trek through war-torn Iraqi deserts touched down safely in Chicago Wednesday evening.
"We're thrilled," Cargo told ABC News after the dog named Nubs arrived in the United States to a warm reception. "What would the alternative be? We thought this dog was going to be shot."
Waiting for the animal, which Dennis and his unit befriended during months of patrolling Iraqi forts along the border of Iraq and Syria, were a steak dinner and strawberry Pop-Tarts — the latter a treat that had become a favorite of the dog during visits by the Marine unit.
Nubs, a wiry German-shepherd-border-collie mix named for nubby ears that were sliced off as a puppy, will stay in Chicago with the family of one of his Marine colleagues until a final hop to San Diego, where a Marine fighter pilot stationed at Camp Pendleton has been given permission to care for the dog until Dennis arrives home from his second combat tour.
The reunion could happen as early as next month, Cargo said.
The dog arrived in the United States by way of Jordan after Dennis navigated the bureaucracy and expenses of transporting the animal out of Iraq, a process that required a series of necessary vaccinations and risky handoffs.
The 36-year-old Marine, trained as a fighter pilot and stationed in Miramar, Calif., befriended the animal during several visits to a fort where Nubs lived with a pack of wild canines as the alpha dog. Dennis recently bid what he thought would be a final farewell to the animal after his unit was relocated 70 miles from Nubs' home fort.
He may have wanted to take Nubs with the unit, Dennis wrote in one e-mail home, but there were too many dogs to rescue and keeping a canine was against the rules. 
Iraqi Dog Finds Marine After Miracle Trek
Two days later, Nubs wandered inexplicably in below-freezing conditions into Dennis' new camp, shocking the Marine unit. "I won't even address the gauntlet he had to run of dog packs, wolves, and God knows what else to get here," Dennis wrote of the animal's trek. "When he arrived he looked like he'd just been through a war zone."
Iraqi Dog's Miracle Trek Reaches U.S. Soil 1 2 3
Maj. Brian Dennis to E-Mail Group:
"Oh by the way, someone just sent me this link (missing) which has some video of Nubs arriving in Chicago. Check out the cage he is in. How much do you think that little piece of crap might set you back? 50 bucks? 75? Try $1,025! That's what those Jordanian bastards charged me! Roger bought a nice plastic kennel which actually fits him. Poor Nubs spent over 16 hours couped up in that little chicken-wire thing. Suffice to say the Arabs do not share our love of dogs... don't even get me started.
Okay... gotta go...
Brian"
A renowned animal trainer in San Diego will donate his expertise to give Nubs the training he needs to adjust to his new life.
Sarina Fazan spoke with Major Dennis' family on Monday. They said they have received hundreds of calls and e-mails since the story broke, including invitations to appear on talk shows.Those close to Major Dennis say he and Nubs are considering some of those requests, including an appearance on the Ellen Degeneres show as part of their reunion.
"He told me it was to make him tough and more alert, and to make him hear better," Dennis wrote. "I pulled my combat knife off of my gear and told my interpreter to ask him how he'd like it if I cut off his ears ... you know, to make him tougher ... more alert. He laughed nervously and I just stared at him."
Nubs was the alpha dog, the leader of a wild pack residing in the ruins of an Iraqi border fort.- story
I love these stories
You know I ran a search on this story several different ways (tag words) and didn’t pull up which seemed odd, but went with it. Guess we call it NUBS UPDATED. — Thanks
No problem. It deserves its own thread. Best story I’ve read in a long time. (And I read a lot!)
BTW, your link in #3 doesn’t work. Interested in reading it though.
Keep us updated on this story, please.
I hope they live Happily ever after!!!
Boy and his dog....Good on them.
Deserving of a Doggie Ping
http://abcnews.go.com/US/AmazingAnimals/Story?id=4323637&page=3
Worked ok for me; but here it is in full link, if you mean # 3 in the series of 1 2 3
The “missin” link I mentioned was of the “cage”, however. They forgot to give me that link - Re: “chicken wire” cage .
Thanks
Thanks..can’t have a missing link!
Way to go, Nubs!
Got it. Thanks.
Hello fellow dog lovers, my name is Heather and I am part of the Bring NUBS to America clan. NUBS is in great hands now, Brian has made sure of that. There is a certified trainer set up to help NUBS transition to his King of the Beach status and a backbone of amazing NUBS and Brain supporters that are going to make sure NUBS is taken care of until the two can be reunited. I am sure you will see follow up once the two are together again as the media is hounding for follow up stories.
I did want to let everyone know as I am combing the net that Brian is NOT raising anymore money for NUBS so please do not listen to anyone who says they are collecting for the cause. They are scammers and in my mind are bad people trying to take advantage of a nice story. Brian really appreciates all the offers but he has told us all that NUBS is his dog and his responsibility and will take care of the rest of the financial needs for NUBS. I can not put words in Brian’s mouth but if you still feel the need to donate I am sure your local Humane Society or Animal Prevention Organization would appreciate any donations made in honor of NUBS. Otherwise your good thoughts sent to the two soul mates is enough I am sure.
Thanks! Great story. Welcome to the USA, Nubs! There were some dogs that my son and his buddies befriended in Iraq. There were three dogs who stayed around a bridge that at times my son’s squad had to guard. They started bringing the dogs scraps and would feed them MRE’s. The dogs actually got to where they would warn my son’s squad if they heard anything. There were times when insurgents were trying to get close in to set up mortar rounds and the dogs always would sound the alert. They named the lead dog Scruffy and said he was the best.
God bless Major Brian Dennis and God speed him home safely!!
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