Georgia soldier in Afghanistan raises enough money to bring rescued puppy home

A soldier on the front lines of the battle against ISIS found himself also fighting another battle recently - one to get his furry friend out of war-torn Afghanistan.

But, on Thursday, members of the group Paws of War Inc. confirmed that they had raised enough money to get Misha back to the U.S. - and Georgia - to live with First Sergeant Timothy Boyd when he finishes his deployment.

Boyd first met puppy Misha when she was recovering from horrific abuse. She had been rescued by American soldiers who saw her being dragged by a rope tied around her neck.

They brought her into COP De Alencar, formally known as Camp Blackfish, to help clean her up and get her medical treatment. Ever since then, she has been part of the family – and Boyd wants to give her a better life in Georgia.

RELATED: Georgia soldier fighting ISIS in Afghanistan raising money to bring puppy home with him

"Without providing protected information, I will just say that we are in a fight almost daily, and that means lots of loud explosions and the risk of harm to us all," Boyd said. "When I say all, I am including this young little pup that we have adopted on the COP. Her name is Misha."

But with his rotation coming close to an end. There was concern about the pup's future since, without enough funds, they wouldn't be able to bring her back to the U.S.

"It is unknown how long the US presence will remain," Boyd said. "I do not want to leave Misha in this country and would like to get her back ... where she can run on soft grass and not be around explosions and cruel people."

Thanks to donations, Boyd got his wish. Paws of War confirmed that they had reached their $6,000 goal and Misha was already in the hands of Nowzad Dogs, a group that partners with them to get animals out of war-torn countries.

"Thanks to all of you that donated toward getting Misha to the United States, she will be arriving as soon as possible!" Paws of War said on Facebook. "She's a bit sad, and scared as she misses her battle buddy very much, but soon she will be on American soil!"

11Alive readers recently helped another group of Georgia soldiers bring home their company dog, Bear, from Afghanistan. After we shared the story, donations spiked. Now, we’re hoping to help Misha, too. 

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