Marine brings stray dog back to U.S. after bonding with him in Afghanistan

Craig Grossi and Fred.
(Image credit: Screenshot/YouTube/William Morrow)

While deployed in Afghanistan with the Marines, Sgt. Craig Grossi crossed paths with Fred, a "goofy looking" dog who would ultimately change his life.

Grossi met Fred in Helmand Province in 2010, after fighting the Taliban for a week straight. Fred was covered in bugs and his fur was matted, but as Grossi approached him, "he started to wag his tail, and that really just froze me, because that is the last thing I thought he would do," he told People. He knew this dog was special and wanted to rescue him from his harsh environment, so Grossi came up with a plan that involved sneaking him onto a helicopter and then hiding him on base until he could send Fred to the United States. "That was all I wanted, because I wasn't sure if I would make it back or not," Grossi said.

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Catherine Garcia, The Week US

Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.