National Guard soldier welcomes home German shepherd rescued during deployment
Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton tells Fox News Digital about the "magical moment" when her dog, Axel, finally made it home to her in West Virginia after she helped save his life.
A U.S. National Guard soldier has been reunited with the helpless pup she rescued from near death.
While on deployment last fall, Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton came across a handicapped German shepherd who was in desperate need of help. The dog was suffering due to medical issues with his paws and other injuries.
As Taulton prepared to head back to her home state of West Virginia only a few weeks after she met the needy pup, she called the nonprofit organization, Paws of War, headquartered in Long Island, New York, for assistance in rescuing her new friend.
After waiting for several long months, Taulton was finally reunited with her pup, Axel, on the day after Christmas.
In an on-camera interview with Fox News Digital, Taulton described the reunion as a "magical moment." (SEE the video at the top of this article.)
National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton rescued her dog, Axel, while on deployment in Sept. 2022. The two are now together at last in West Virginia. (Paws of War)
"He was whimpering and barking and was just a very vocal little man," she said.
It was "almost like he was trying to talk to me and say, ‘I’m finally here, Mom!’"
The soldier said she "kept checking her Ring camera" once she was notified that one-year-old Axel would be hitching a ride to her home in West Virginia from New York with Paws of War.
"He came out and instantly was super happy," she said.
"It didn’t matter that he was traveling for hours."
One-year-old German shepherd Axel was reunited with his rescue soldier, Andrea Taulton, the day after Christmas. (Paws of War)
She added, "It was pretty much like there was no time in between when I left him and getting him here."
Taulton said she was greeted with kisses, tail wags and lots of barking from Axel — she knew he was trying to communicate with her.
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It was "almost like he was trying to talk to me and say, ‘I’m finally here, Mom!’" she said.
Deformities in his front paws
Taulton first stumbled upon Axel while she was out on duty in Sept. 2022.
He was in very bad shape, she said.
Axel, a rescued German shepherd from overseas, "holds her hand" when they sleep, said Taulton. (Paws of War)
She noticed he had deformities in his front paws and appeared to have been hit by a car due to an injury on his hind leg.
"Dogs are literally everywhere," she said, about her deployment location, "and you can tell they’re all malnourished."
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The soldier explained that she named him Axel because he "only had one working Axel — his one leg," she told Fox News Digital earlier.
Taulton said they assumed Axel had been bred in the area and was thrown into a cage for the first several months of his life. This reportedly stunted the proper development of his paws, as Fox News Digital noted earlier.
"He loves every single person that comes around, every single dog that comes around, and he is seriously a blessing. He is a perfect dog."
Taulton cared for the limping dog for several weeks and they bonded — until she was ordered to leave her deployment on Nov. 1.
After reaching out to Paws of War for help, the soldier said the organization immediately sprang into action on the hurting animal's behalf.
Andrea Taulton with her beloved rescue pup, Axel. (Paws of War)
"If he was left on the streets where I was deployed another day, there’s literally no way he would’ve made it," she said.
"I’m speechless with how incredible [Paws of War] was," she continued. "It couldn’t have been a better process."
Upon his arrival in West Virginia, Taulton said Axel immediately acclimated to his new home, claiming a spot on his dog bed and automatically going outside to do his business.
But Axel still has some work to do with keeping his voice down, she said.
Taulton and her German shepherd, Axel, were reunited after Christmas. (Paws of War)
"He barks at everything and anything," Taulton said. "But he’s definitely not aggressive."
She added, "He loves every single person that comes around, every single dog that comes around, and he is seriously a blessing. He is a perfect dog."
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Even though Taulton expected him to be timid at first, she said Axel gets along great with her two other dogs — even sometimes sharing his toys and food.
"I just want him to have the best life and the best ability he can."
"It amazes me how perfect he is," she said.
"I’m truly blessed to have him."
Axel doesn't have a "bad bone in his body," said Taulton, despite the earlier struggles and injuries he endured. (Paws of War)
Axel still struggles with moving around Taulton’s home due to his deformities, but there are plans for the dog to be evaluated by an orthopedic surgeon to alleviate his handicap, she hopes.
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"I just want him to have the best life and the best ability he can," she said.
Taulton said she hopes she’ll be able to take Axel "everywhere" with her in the near future, including to a few local breweries.
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Paws of War is a nonprofit and accepts donations for the rescue missions of scores of animals from areas where they're in danger. For more info, visit pawsofwar.networkforgood.com.
