Military family deployed, forced to leave beloved dog behind
PACIFIC, Wash. -- KOMO News has received some pretty peculiar mail over the years, but I suspect the letter we recently received from “Calvin, The Big Red Dog” was our first canine correspondence.
Pacific resident Katie Garberding wrote to KOMO on behalf of Calvin, a 6-year-old Chesapeake Bay /Golden Retriever mix, asking for help reuniting him with his family.
Calvin belongs to Garberding’s daughter Helen, whose military family moved to Belgium earlier this month. Despite the family’s love for their dog, they could not afford to fly him overseas.
“A few weeks ago my family hugged me and kissed me as they said their goodbyes,” Garberding wrote on behalf of Calvin. “I know that they didn’t want to leave me.”
Garberding is now collecting donations to send Calvin to Belgium. She says her grandchildren desperately miss him.
When 4-year-old Lily got sick after the flight to her new home, Garberding says she kept asking for the family dog.
“They’re all devastated,” Garberding says. “They’re in a new country where they don’t know anybody and they’re not complete.”
Garberding says Calvin will always have a home with her, but she can tell he misses his family. She says the retriever has “sad eyes” and often sits in her driveway watching cars pass by.
“It’s almost like he’s waiting for them to come get him,” Garberding says.
Not unlike other military families, Helen's has moved around a lot. She and her husband Ryan enlisted in the Army in 1997. She left the service shortly after her 11-year-old son Thomas was born. The family has lived in New York, Texas and Germany while Ryan was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.
Three years ago Ryan was transferred to Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the family moved to Washington, Helen’s home state. That’s when Calvin came into their lives.
The dog had been living with Helen’s sister Emily until she moved to an apartment that didn’t allow pets. As soon as the Bingamans took Calvin in, Garberding says he adopted their three children as his “puppies.”
“He is so gentle with the kids,” Garberding says. “He is the rock that keeps them together.”
But when Helen's family was preparing to move to Belgium, they learned it would costs between $1,100 and $2,000 to fly Calvin with them. Helen asked her mother to babysit Calvin until the family could save enough money to fly him over.
To help reunite the family, Garberding has created a savings account at Chase Bank to collect the funds needed to fly Calvin to Belgium and back again when the family returns to the United States in 3 years. She hopes to raise $4,000. Garberding says any funds that are not used on Calvin’s flight will be donated to the Auburn Humane Society.
“We love him, but my grandkids need him,” Garberding says. “They need as much consistency as possible.”
Readers can help Calvin by contacting Garberding at imadaisylady@aol.com.
Calvin made his journey from Seattle Washington to Mons Belgium yesterday, March 26th. He was reunited with his family and they are ALL very happy! Thank you to all of the KOMO viewers/readers that gave us your love, praryers and donations.
Monies raised were $1,016. that helped to cover the cost of travel, which was $1,600 including: his flight, veterinarian health check, USDA (passport certification) and an additional veterinary check in Amsterdam. On behalf of Calvin's family... We thank you!
There are pictures and a video posted on Calvin's facebook page "Have Crate Will Travel" for
everyone to enjoy!
I don't understand why when the Military relocated the family, Why didn't they relocate the dog also? I know they will transport your belongings. This is so heartless of them not to include the whole family in the move! I'm very angry at our government as it is, now I have one more reason to be mad!!
I'm kinda shocked at the comments here..
This is a MILITARY family whose father is SERVING our country! They make a LOT of sacrifices, sometimes the ultimate sacrifice and for VERY nominal pay! He is one of the people out there ensuring you can make these nasty comments!Â
What is a $10 or $20 donation?? It's a trip to a fast food joint (one that most don't need) but to this family it would help reunite them with their beloved pet (and pets ARE family members).
Pretty darn sad when people are so callous toward a member of the military.. :(Â
** Everyone applauded when the fraternity collected $17,000. for a girl to become a boy (more than double what was needed) Â but sending a dog to a military family deserves ridicule? SMH!**
Well said. It's strange that so many find negativity in this story. The family didn't ask for donations, the person caring for the dog is trying to collect them. I think it's a wonderful and thoughtful gesture, and I agree- pets are family members. If people find the act of donating to this cause offensive, why complain about it? Just don't contribute... It seems pretty simple to me.
Sorry. Â You got a job that you will move often then it's on you. Â Stop being a liberal taker of people's good will and be responsible for your own actions. Â This is not new, but a whine piece.
I'll donate.. I know my mom will too we're both dog lovers and this is a worthy cause for a family whose father is serving our country!Â
I just hope the dog, Calvin, doesn't have to spend months in quarantine!Â
Seriously? You want others to pay for something that you should be paying for??? Â If you are in the military, then you KNOW the possibility is always there of being deployed or stationed overseas, and knowing that it is your responsibility to pay for those items to go overseas that are not covered by military deployment order guidelines regarding what the govt will or will not pay for. I'm all for giving military members the recognition for their service, but what I don't like are military members who take advantage of it like this to get charity they are not entitled to. If the dog was so important to your children, then you would have found a way to come up with the funds to pay for Calvin to have come with you. Not to mention I'm sure that Belgium probably will not allow a dog into their country without it being in quarantine for a period of time, or are you gonna try and get money to bribe Belgium customs to bypass that also.Â
@Keith  What's wrong? Got a stick up your azz?
It's a cute story and I'm sure this exposure will give them some needed funds. That said, I might question the wisdom of getting a dog for a military family prone to moving.
My family got a puppy a little while ago, I'm still kicking myself for agreeing to it, she's a cute little sweetheart but the level of activity is driving me insane and those teeth are darned sharp, bit through my thumbnail and it's cracked almost all the way down.
@deejm2112 Last pup I had, I was playing with a chew toy with him, he was able to puncture my thumb at the base with one of his fangs and as I pulled away, his fang opened up the entire length of my thumb. I almost passed out. Still have the scar from that little bugger. So I feel your pain when it comes to those little needle-sharp baby teeth.
@deejm2112
For kids who have to move a lot, a pet like a dog helps to add a little normality to their lives. While they have to constantly move away from friends, the dog is one friend that would normally go with them. It's just that this time they got an overseas assignment.
We've found that doing puppy training has really helped our puppy. Besides the fact that he learns what to do and not to do, the mental activity required for training helps to take some of the energy out of the pup.
@Jenni S. @deejm2112 My puppy (50lb boxer) flunked puppy obedience training...we have to start over.  =(
Oh brother, what next?
These are model citizens. Problem solvers who appear to remember what We Can Do it means. These are the people who humble me. I don't own a dog, want a dog... but we all have many friends who do, and we can all bring a lot of attention to this. This should be easy.Â
@ Playanekes They are gripers and whiners. 99% of people out there just get on with life - not making thier difficulties anyone elses - except possible you. I somehow think you would get pleasure out of it however dude. Â Just a thought.
@Playanekes Oh, lordie -- I do NOT want to argue with you today (I've got a bunch of things to take care of today so I'm all fresh and girlie for our flight tomorrow), but at some point people need to take responsibility for their own actions.  Personally, I would have taken a quickie part-time job before I left the country to I could take the dog myself and not rely on a news article to raise funds so everyone else could  pay for transporting my family pet, but that's just me.
@Sundowner @Playanekes LOL! And I'm socked in until tomorrow. BORING!!
Well, it could be a total scam, or a spin that ignores a Corvette and a Cirrus parked in an airplane hangar of theirs somewhere. Possible, so you have to decide whether they're good people worthy of giving the benefit of the doubt. FFS..it's better than Scientology, right?But, in the interest of disclosure:
Do you have any idea how many times I've had to read, watch and listen to "Snoopy Come Home" lately? It's insidious. I've managed to deflect interest to the Charlie Brown Thanksgiving special, but, that's bullsh-t mind-control due to the fact that their are adults and the SPEAK, which is impossible in any legitimate Charlie Brown documentary, therefore, it could not have happened in real life either. Good grief!
@Playanekes I meant to ask last night but it was late and I couldn't word my comment right, but on some story you told, I was curious if the Corvette got wrecked.
@Playanekes @tigress No wonder you've been so b***y....and here I thought it was something I'd said.  LOL!   I don't think this is a scam, I really don't.  But can you imagine if every person who needed a couple thou for something that's really non-essential ended up with a local news story and a place to make donations?  We'd have to plow through all those stories just to fight with each other and make fun of people, and we both know we've better things to do.  So get back to "Snoopy Come Home" and I'll get back to cleaning my guns and picketing cake shops. <---See how I sneaked those in?  Happy lady today.Â
@Sundowner @Playanekes Fist bump, Sundowner.
I think it is sweet the grandmother has done this. The family asked her to watch him until they could save up money, and the grandmother got creative. Sometimes you have to have faith in people and I think a military family is owed some help for all they have doe for us. I will be donating.Â
dogs are a pain.  free all dogs!
@Pers Retiree The same could be said for most pers retirees btw.Â
@Janusfree @Pers Retiree "Renew! Renew!"Â
I won't lie, I feel bad for the kids, and for Calvin, but this isn't news, not in the least. Not in the absolute least. While pets are considered by some to be part of the family, it also means that perhaps you need to buckle down and pay the costs to transport the dog with you. Does this mean being prepared in the event of deployment and having the funds saved in advance? Yes. Could it mean using the emergency credit card to ship the dog? Maybe. Does it mean asking strangers to foot the bill? No. And while it's very nice of grandma to set-up the Chase account and promise to donate any remaining money to the humane society, how is that guaranteed to happen? Or even more interesting, will she attempt to write off the full donation on her taxes?
@pdxd " Does it mean asking strangers to foot the bill? No"
Why not? Are we not asking strangers to "foot the bill" when we send soldiers to war? Willamette Cemetery is filled with people who "footed the bill" for strangers.
@playanekes I don't expect to pay the moving bill to ship anyone's household to another country. I appreciate the work they do, I'm fine with flying spouses/partners/children to live with them, but I'm not looking to pay to ship furniture, cars, or dogs along with them.
@pdxd Well, you might not be paying for the pets, but you certaily are paying to move the family and all household goods. Oh, unless you are one of those that don't pay income taxes.
@pdxd I so agree. This all sounds pretty manipulative to me - heartbroken little kids, daddy's a soldier, dog sitting in the driveway waiting for their return. No doubt they'll get the money and then some because, as gramma obviously knows, people respond to this type of story with their checkbooks. Military families move a lot - sometimes out of country. Did they not realize this when they got the dog? Why not put money aside just in case? I advocate pet insurance - just being prepared in case I ever have to make that horrible decision of expensive surgery or treatment versus putting my dog down. Same kind of thing. You adopt an animal, you accept responsibility. Hard for me to believe that this family didn't foresee the possibility of having to move because of the nature of dad's job.
@tigress I absolutely appreciate dad's service to his country, but talk about irresponsibility in buying a dog for the family and not designating the funds necessary to relocate the dog along with the family
This still isn't news.
This is not news.
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@Dr. Rawdog @sortbait I didn't know about it until I read this article, so it's not only news, it's new news. Â
Military families have dealt with issues like this for years ... decades ... centuries. How is this puff piece about a freakin' dog news?  And KATU seems to be running more and more of this type of tripe.  KATU is becoming (has become?) the tabloid queen of local "news" departments. Â
Part of the costs of having an animal. When my wife and I go on extended vacations we have to have someone look after our pets.
When we were younger we had to give away our dog because of costs of moving.
That is just life. Some decisions are difficult and learning to accept that is part of the life learning experience.
@RalphCramden I'm with you on this one.  I need to get my Boxer spayed -- maybe I should set up an account at my credit union for donations?
@Sundowner @RalphCramden Depending on where you live, your age, or your income, you can get pets fixed relatively cheap through the Humane Society. My Dad is a low income disabled senior so we were able to get our cats spayed/neutered for 10.00 each (the last one, Moby, was free as we went during a time when they had a special going). We adopted 4 rescue kittens- 2 boys and 2 girls not at the same time - (was not planned but you know how it goes) in under a year so getting them fixed was going to cost a lot, which we would have paid to insure their well being. However, when looking at the OHS site, I found a program that will help with the cost due to his age and income level. That one was for cats but I am sure there will be something for dogs as well. You can also lower your vaccination costs by looking at PetSmart who do vaccination clinics. We had all of ours vaccinated for under 200.00 over a 2 month period. The vet checkups...not so cheap but necessary for their health. OHS did a wonderful job and were very caring and kind with our pets. They even gave them all a very thorough check up before their surgery. Hope that helps you for your Boxer. :)
@Kymberlie2873Â That's what men are for. Â Cleaning up poo, killing spiders and keeping my car running. Â I can take care of the rest.
@Kymberlie2873Â It's nice that you're taking care of your dad.
@Sundowner @Kymberlie2873 As it should be! Men are wonderful pupy poo collectors! As for the litter boxes, we have 3 of them and guess who gets to scoop them? Not my Dad! I would have loved a dog for my Dad but he felt he couldn't handle the excitement or care of a dog. I had hoped he would like a buddy he could take for walks, but he prefers the cats. I never planned on this many but he's got a soft heart and I have a hard time saying no...although I have put my foot down now. 1 cat is 7 and came with me when I moved in to take care of Dad, 3 are 1 yr old (the 2 girls being siblings and rescued out of our garage), and 1 is 9 months. That's more excitement then I feel he needed to be honest and more than one dog would have caused.Â
@Kymberlie2873Â Only trouble with feeding 5 cats is what they leave in the litter box after. Â And there you have it, Reasons #358-#362 not to own 5 cats. Â Can you tell it's my husband's job to clean up puppy poo? Â =) Â
@Dr. Rawdog @Kymberlie2873 @Sundowner @RalphCramden Actually, by the vet's estimation, Moby will basically be a small dog by the time he is done growing. He is part Maine Coon and part Siamese. Our vet thinks he will be at least 25 lbs before he is done growing. So Rawdog, your dog better be a big one or Moby (named after the whale by the way and is my avatar) might eat him. :)
@Dr. Rawdog @Kymberlie2873 @Sundowner @RalphCramden I have no response to that except for: :PÂ
@Sundowner @Kymberlie2873 @RalphCramden So would I! Ever try feeding 5 cats? My God. They eat more than I do! Especially Moby who is now 9 months old and already about 14 lbs. But I don't go out much nor does my Dad so that recreation money goes to the "children".
@Kymberlie2873 @RalphCramden I was actually joking but appreciate the information, for sure!  Although I'd still accept donations......
Big mistake opening an account with Chase.Â
Chase will gladly charge them account maintenance fees etc etc and eat the majority of the donations in that account, until they're in the hole and get sent to collections.
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You mean airlines will stroke you? Dang, I've never gotten that during my travels.
@pdxd @disgustedman @Dr. Rawdog Not a member of the Mile High Club?  What's wrong with you?  Those bathrooms are tight and it takes some flexibility but......never mind, it was all just hearsay.
@tigress @Dr. Rawdog Ah, shucks.  He's way more adorb...at least I think so....but then it's the internet and I don't know if his avatar is really him.  He IS a doctor, though -- I'm pretty sure about that!  LOL!!Â
@Sundowner @tigress @Dr. Rawdog OK...you two are adorbs.Â
@tigress @Dr. Rawdog Smiling/laughing.  Bad, perhaps...but we're so ****ing cute!  LOL!
@Sundowner @Dr. Rawdog You two are bad.
@Dr. Rawdog Good for you!  I'm not willing to admit anything, but in the last 20+ years I've managed to avoid any kind of "laid" on any form of public transportation.  Haven't ever been cured of the back seat thrill though.  Maybe I'll outgrow it.
@Sundowner @Playanekes Aaaaand....my commitment to never using airplane restrooms is stronger than ever. Gag. Last time I peeked into one with the intent of using it was years ago - it looked like somebody had emptied a bag of Junior Tootsie Rolls all over the toilet seat. I fled, never to return again.
@Playanekes There's always the fear of that blue chemical in the potty staining shoes if one's foot slips in, or at least that's what I've heard.
@Sundowner There are people there who... ...well... nevermind.
You're REALLY going to hate it when they bring in the probes.Â
@disgustedman @pdxd To quote Eric Cartman, "Goddamn it, they didn't do anything to my ass! It was just a dream!"  Â