Groups offer temporary homes to military pets

Buster and Little Girl, a 70-pound male and a 40-pound female, were about a year old and a bit rambunctious, said Baucom, who was stationed at Fort Hood in Killeen, Texas.

"I didn't want to put them in a kennel for 15 months," he said. "I don't know what kind of dogs I would have gotten back if they would have been in a kennel for 15 months."

He was relieved when he found Guardian Angels for Soldiers' Pet, a volunteer organization that helps men and women in any branch of the armed forces find temporary homes for pets. It is one of several pet foster programs that offer such free help to military personnel.

The organizations help reduce the stress on troops preparing for overseas deployment, said Specialist Stephanie Dortch, who works in the soldier readiness processing center at Camp Atterbury in Edinburgh, Ind. Dortch called the volunteers "awesome. They're sacrificing a lot to have these pets and eventually give them back to their owners."

One volunteer, Gary Marshall, considers it a chance to give back to the troops defending the country.

"We thought it would be really nice to help out somebody in the military - to provide a nice home for their dog," said the Santa Paula, Calif., resident.

Marshall and his wife, Angie, recently opened their home to Kelli, a 2-year-old German shepherd owned by Matthew Snyder, who is stationed with the Army in South Korea. Only their 8-year-old yellow Labrador retriever was apprehensive, Marshall said.

"He didn't know quite what to do with this dog," Marshall said. Now, the two have fun playing together, he said.

Initially, Snyder's mother, Kristie Bruce, was taking care of Kelli and Snyder's other dog, but Bruce had to give them up when she was laid off from her job. She is grateful to the foster families for stepping up.