I guess I’m just a hometown boy. Hometown Twitter boy, that is. Thanks to Twitter (let’s not even mention my addiction), I keep up to the minute with breaking news from my hometown of Waterville, Maine. And given my status as a die-hard dog lover, a certain Tweet from the Central Maine Morning Sentinel this morning caught my eye: “Goal reached to bring soldier’s dog home.”
I eagerly clicked through the link in my desktop Twitter monitor (geeky, I know). I was wondering if I would be crying or laughing in the next few moments. What I found was a story that made me grateful that Random Acts of Kindness still exist in the world. I felt like I had discovered gold!
U.S. Army Sgt. Eric Pierce is returning to Maine in several weeks after a tour of duty in Afghanistan. So will the dog he befriended while stationed there, Sandy.
Pearce and fellow soldiers rescued the dog and two others from a litter born on their base months ago. When the division were told that they were to redeploy back to the United States, soldiers with pets were told to get rid of them. The soldiers drove the pups 12 miles away where they would not get shot but all returned to the base. It was then that Pearce decided that he would bring Sandy home with him — but needed $2,900 to airlift the dog from a shelter called Tigger House in Kabul to Pakistan and then to JFK airport in New York.
With a lead from Pearce’s mother, Maddy Pearce, who lives in Embden, the Sentinel ran a story on Thursday about the family’s goal to raise $2,900 to bring Sandy home. Within 24 hours, readers had responded — and donations poured in, exceeding the goal.
Pearce was “elated and dumbfounded” when he found out the news. These acts of kindness astonished his mother. From the Sentinel update on Sandy’s plight:
Maddy Pierce said a bank employee called Friday morning and said, ‘Oh my God. They just brought the mail in and it’s four inches thick and almost every name on it is for the rescue fund,’ she said. One envelope contained a certified check for $1,200, she said. One donation came from Florida.
What has been most heartwarming is more than the money, Maddy Pierce said. The Pierces have received letters, phone messages and calls of support, including from dog lovers and those who have served or do serve in the armed forces.
Ironically, Sandy will arrive home before Pearce actually does.
The family will possibly donate excess funds to Tigger House, so if you want to commit your own random act of kindness, you can send a donation to:
Sandy’s Rescue Fund
c/o Maddy Pierce
Skowhegan Savings Bank
188 Main St.
Madison, ME 04950
Now, I am going to go home and give my Lab a big ‘ol hug. Time to spread the kindness!
And, if you’d like to Tweet me your own Random Act of Kindness, please follow me here. And keep up with all our good news at Tonic News on Twitter.
Photo: Contributed by Pearce Family