Being in a warzone is difficult for humans. They have to deal with pain, fear, and uncertainty on a daily basis. Plus, there’s nothing comfortable there. Now, imagine dogs in warzones.

Nubs is one of the dogs used to alert Iraqis of imminent danger.

Because of how critical his job was, an Iraqi soldier decided to cut off his ears in an attempt to toughen him up and make him a better and more effective security dog. Plus, removing the ears also gives attacking dogs less to bite onto.

When Marine pilot Major Brian Dennis found Nubs, the dog had a big wound on its left side.

He shared:

“One of the Iraqis told me that one of the soldiers had gotten mad and stabbed him with a big screwdriver. He looked terrible. We didn’t think he was going to make it. He was all infected. It was bad.”

Realizing how awful the dog’s situation was, he figured he needed to do something. So, he brought the poor dog back to base. There, he did everything to treat Nubs’ wound.

At the base, everyone fell in love with the dog in an instant.

“As soon as I met him, he just kind of jumped up and I started playing with him. The first time we ever met, he just kind of flipped over. I started rubbing his belly. Really, my whole team, we just kind of bonded with him as soon as we met him.”- Dennis said.

Dennis and Nubs formed a really special bond. He made sure to visit the fort every now and then to check in on the dog.

Unfortunately, Major Dennis had to transfer to a different location.

He had to travel about 70 miles to the border. As he was leaving, Nubs ran behind the Humvee. The dog tried hard to catch up. After noticing that Nubs was no longer following them, Dennis assumed that his friend got tired and went back.

A couple of days later, he received a shocking surprise.

Dennis was in an Iraqi Battalion Headquarters. There, a fellow Marine called his attention and pulled him aside. He told Dennis to look outside and see for himself.

There, he found Nubs.

Dennis was unsure how the dog was able to find them. His best guess was that the dog saw where they went and just took off in their direction.

“When he arrived he looked like he’d just been through a war zone,”- he said

Dennis and his team decided to keep Nubs even though dogs aren’t generally allowed to stay at the camp. They built a doghouse and treated Nubs as best as they possibly could.

They were told to get rid of the dog.

Two military police told the team that they couldn’t keep Nubs. After hard thinking, Dennis decided that there’s only one way they could save their precious friend; get him to the United States.

Dennis shared:

“This dog who had been through a lifetime of fighting, war, abuse, and had tracked down our team over 70 miles of harsh desert was going to live the good life.”

After careful planning, Dennis was successful in his mission to bring Nubs to safety.

The dog had crossed Iraq’s border and into Jordan. Then he was transported to Chicago, and eventually to San Diego, where a couple of Dennis’ friends were waiting.

Nubs’ story touched many people’s hearts.

They found his story so inspiring and heartwarming that his journey has been developed for the big screen. A book was also published to tell the world of his amazing story.

“A lot of soldiers and Marines end up connecting with dogs out there. I heard from a lot of people who’ve been in Vietnam and even World War II. I guess it’s an escape. People who are dog people, they just get it. The dog comes running up to you with his tail wagging. It was an escape from the drudgery, the mundane life out there, the bad things you see at times. It was an escape and now it’s a friend,” the Marine said.

We are so grateful that this pup made a hero’s journey to be with his devoted dad.

To learn more about Nubs’ incredible journey and the bond that he and his dad share, watch the video below.

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Source: ABC News, Facebook, Animal Rescue Site