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Fred, Hound/Shepherd mix (7 y/o), Washington Square Park, New York, NY • “I found him in Sangin, Afghanistan, which was a really tough spot held by the Taliban. We were surrounded by 200 fighters – we spent six days fighting for our lives. During this time we happened to find this compound that Fred lived in. Throughout the battles we’d catch little glimpses of him. We weren’t technically allowed to approach stray dogs, but I bent the rules. I offered him a piece of beef jerky and saw that he was neglected, dirty, and covered in bugs. As I approached him, he started wagging his tail. That was really the defining moment for me, because I thought, ‘Wow, this dog has no reason to be wagging his tail.’ After that it was just a process of lying, cheating, and stealing to get him home to the States. When we were trying to get him on the helicopter it was a brown out, and I was just trying to keep my eyes on the person in front of me. One of our guys came up and grabbed Fred like a jug of milk and stuffed him in a duffle bag. We tried to make him look like luggage. Fred was terrified but he got right on that helicopter. It was like an extraction. Most dogs in the military are trained to be okay in that situation, but we stumbled upon Fred. He had no reason to trust us, but he did. During those six days, one of our guys got hit in the helmet with a bullet and his only memory is Fred coming over and putting his head on his chest. He impacted us then and continues to impact me every day. I always say, I rescued him once, but he has rescued me countless times. He’s taught me stubborn positivity. Coming home as a veteran, we naturally gravitate towards the negative and Fred doesn’t let me do that. He doesn’t allow me to spiral downwards. And that’s all dogs too – it’s not just Fred. That’s the influence a dog can have on your life.” @fredtheafghan » Check out Craig’s book, “Craig & Fred: A Marine, A Stray Dog, and How They Rescued Each Other”. They’ll also be telling their story at Badass Brooklyn’s annual bash this Wednesday, 11/15 from 7-10pm at 635 Sackett St., Brooklyn. @badassbrooklyn