Hello.  My name is Isaac Cortes.  I am currently working in Iraq.  My reason for creating this fund is a unique one...Prior to leaving, my wife, Stephanie, gave birth to our beautiful baby girl, Celeste.  While welcoming Celeste into our lives is the happiest moment that my wife and I share together, my reason for writing delivers one of the saddest moments that we have ever endured, coping with the loss of our first "daughter", Sora. 

Stephanie and I unexpectedly, lost the first dog we ever owned, one week before Celeste's arrival.  As you could imagine, our loss of Sora was devastating.  Sora had been with us from the very first day that we met, sharing many special moments and years together.  Losing her so close to my leaving is something that I am STILL managing to cope with. 

All that said, I am now in Iraq, separated from my wife and daughter, and have recently met a special lady.  Folks here on the camp call her "Mama Dog".  I have renamed her, Rey.  Rey is a stray that lives on our base.  She is one of many and manages to scrape by and survive the brutal conditions that exist here.  She is one of the sweetest dogs that I have ever met and has taken a strong liking to me, following me around camp, during my daily routine.  The sad news is, that due to the large feral dog problem that exists here, there are routinely scheduled euthanizations that occur.  My biggest fear is that Rey’s time is near.

I have conducted some research on what it would take to bring her back to the states and give her the home she so deserves.  The feat is not an easy one, as there are several obstacles to overcome, primarily, a significant financial hurdle…one that I have managed to fall incredibly short of being able to support.

Rey is too good a dog and too much of a sweetheart to ignore.  I am writing with high hopes… I am normally not the type to ask for financial help, however, after a bit of discussion with several of my colleagues, I was encouraged to start this fund and hopefully, raise what it would take to bring Rey home. 

I genuinely appreciate you taking the time to read my story and I hope that you might be able to offer a bit of help.

Thanks again for your time.

Sincerely Yours,

Isaac Cortes