When the 845 Naval Air Squadron with the Royal Navy buckled down for a storm while stationed in Montenegro, they had no idea that the storm would change their lives forever — in the best sort of way.
During the onslaught, a stray pup took shelter with the squadron and crawled her way into their hearts.
Even after the storm passed, the little dog took a shine to the crew, following them around and watching as they replaced the engine on a Merlin helicopter. They named her KT.
It was clear she was a bold puppy, and the roar of planes and helicopters didn’t seem to bother her in the least. When the squadron was ready to move on, they had a dilemma on their hands: They really wanted to bring the stray home, but that required time, effort, paperwork and money.
“Before leaving Montenegro a few of us got in touch with a local charity and also liaised with a few of the Montenegro Air Force (MAF) pilots about getting her back to the U.K. and giving her a proper home,” Petty Officer ‘Frank’ Stapleton said, according to the Royal Navy.
“As she wasn’t scared of noisy aircraft, having spent her short life so far on an airfield which happened to be the home of the MAF and the international airport for Montenegro, we feel she’ll be right at home on 845 NAS.”
“We believe with will probably take somewhere close to £2,000 to fully vaccinate her and transport her back to the U.K.
“She is currently with a Montenegrin dog foster family organised by the charity that we have vetted and has already started receiving the required medical treatment and care needed to pass customs.”
Brad Hansford, who serves in the 845, started a GoFundMe fundraiser to raise money to get the pup to her new home.
“KT is a stray puppy we met on a base in Montenegro, she’s incredibly friendly and everybody fell in love with her while we were there,” he wrote.
“We have liaised with a local unit on the airbase and a local rescue centre and are in the process of having her vaccinated and chipped etc so that she is ready to be collected and brought back to the UK. KT will be the 845 mascot and spend her time at the squadron getting all the love and attention she deserves.
“We are raising funds in order to bring her to the UK and give her a great life. If you could donate to help we’d greatly appreciate it :)”
And people responded generously — over 400 people donated a total of £6,783 (over $8,000 U.S.) before the fundraiser was shut down, ensuring that KT had the necessary funds to get home and live a good life when she got there.
“Thank you for your overwhelming support to get KT back to the UK!” Hansford wrote in an update. “Thanks to you, we have raised well above what we need so have chosen to close the gofundme page.
“Rest assured all donations will go towards the rehoming, veterinary, food, training and insurance costs for KT.”
