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386th AEW captain founds non-profit for pets

  • Published
  • By Master Sgt. Eric Petosky
  • 386th Air Expeditionary Wing Public Affairs
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Caring for families while moving overseas or being deployed carries enough challenges, which is why one 332nd Air Expeditionary Group captain started a non-profit group to alleviate the challenges of providing for four-legged family members as well.

Capt. Annaleis Hunter, 332nd Expeditionary Force Support Flight commander, believes pets are part of the family, but she doesn’t feel there are enough resources to help service members cope with the challenges associated with pet care.

“The cost of boarding a pet during a move or deployment is expensive,” she said. “I knew there had to be a better way. I want military families to have their whole families looked after, including their pets.”

Hunter’s first encounter with pet relocation issues was during a permanent change of station to Germany in 2013. It was difficult to find an apartment to rent with her long-time companion, Keira, a shepherd-blue heeler mix. Too many cases of animal abandonment caused a growing concern to property owners, creating a reluctance to rent to American service members with pets.

“I got involved with the local dog shelter, and I found out about this underlying problem,” she said. “I began to realize what a serious and complicated issue this was and wishing there was something someone could do to help military members and their pets.

“After talking it over with a friend, she suggested I be the one to do something about it. I honestly didn’t think I was the person to do this. The task was so daunting, but at the end of the day, it wasn’t about what I thought I could do, it was about helping military members and their fur family. So I started researching the issue to see what a dedicated group of volunteers could do to help these families.”

Hunter found many organizations in the United States that will care for pets on a limited basis for service families who need it, but she could find none that catered to the unique challenges of those stationed overseas. Ultimately, with the help of fellow animal lovers she befriended at the German animal shelters, she decided to start her own non-profit group devoted to pets.

In November 2014, Paws Abroad was born. The non-profit group serves as an intermediary between military members needing temporary care for their pets and volunteers who are willing to do so. There’s an extensive application for foster families and applicants, requiring at least three separate trial runs before the foster process starts. So far, sixteen families have volunteered to foster pets in Germany alone.

“Paws Abroad is new, but we are looking to support major military installations in Europe and the Pacific,” Hunter said. “It’s an all-volunteer force, so it’s slow to set up, but we want to make sure we comply with the laws of the host nation, as well as provide a certain amount of safety for pets, military members, and foster families.”

Not long after Hunter started Paws Abroad, she found herself faced with a short-notice deployment to Southwest Asia. She and her “fur-baby” Keira became the second customer for the fledgling non-profit organization.

“I started the organization to help other people, and wound up needing it soon after,” she said. “I’m so thankful there was a German foster family who was willing to take care of my family while I deployed. Without them, I don’t know who would have looked after Keira.”

Even while deployed, she is active in the organization. Paws Abroad is currently finding good foster matches for Air Force and Army personnel who are facing short tours. The volunteers are also trying to get the word out to attract more foster families and raise awareness about the services they offer.

“We currently have a few people who need our help, so we’re working on connecting them with local foster families,” Hunter said. “Having not only started this group, but used its services, I am so grateful to the volunteers who help make all of this possible. There is no better feeling than knowing deployed military members get to come home to a safe, happy pet that is ecstatic to see them.”