'Saving Cinnamon'

" mark back for deployed to Afghanistan never dreamed part of his mission would become rescuing a stray puppy named seven men. Mark made all arrangements to bring cinnamon home and -- the plane exposed perhaps an on arrived in Chicago. Cinnamon wasn't gonna -- woman -- sister Christine Sullivan an animal lover herself. She's written a new book about the great -- the Stanley had to go to to saint sentiment called savings and indicative of up there. Mark Christine and sent and then have all come in it. To join us today we're so glad to have you thanks for this is such an inspirational story personal MarketWatch askew. When he came upon sentiment over there in Afghanistan missed or. What -- the decision you because it's not easy or cheap to get a dog back from Afghanistan."

" I grew to love her over several months during my deployment and what happened was coincidentally Renton dog -- that. Explain the process of getting home and that's when that idea started to gel I had been. My wife Alice had been asking me bring our program and once I got the idea from him that it could be done. I I started to do some research and and really think that it could be."

" Now ultimately things went astray and there is a huge beautiful amazing miraculous story about how you eventually got her home. Christine you wrote the book about it tell us a little bit about I -- 44 days to find her. And get her home."

" as he said we expected -- to Atlanta Chicago and we got the terrible news that she was not on that plane and mark was due to come home any day. After being on historic deployment and when word got out to us from him in an email that. Cinnamon wasn't found anywhere she had gone missing I just couldn't stand that. Cinnamon was missing somewhere mark felt guilty and terrible about what happened so I launched an international search for her by reaching out to my. Animal loving friends and network of advocate so."

" And you've been very instrumental in working with animals after hurricane Katrina and the Euro longtime animal helper and lover. I essay when I was initially reading the books on the -- emails he sounds so resigned to the fact -- gadgets and think that she's happy somewhere else and that she's going to be okay. You are not willing to accept that -- tell us about some of the things you had to do to get her well the."

" Hardest part was we didn't know what happened torso. We thought she was alone and may be injured and -- food and water and the hardest thing was really just not knowing where to begin. -- she was 7000 miles away with where she went missing. And so it was really. An international band of heroes that I refer to that intervened with our help on -- our behalf. Just so many people coming together to do their part. Reaching out to a worldwide animal rescue organization finding a local animal rescue organization where we found that she had been left behind. And then the other really hard part was trusting other people to do their -- that really took. It really took an awful lot of people's effort and we could not have done it without each and every one of them so we're very grateful to everybody that had a hand in the us."

" And mark let me ask you having cinnamon bear on on the base in Afghanistan and and growing closer her what did it mean to you and other soldiers -- are."

" People have asked us you know that cut that question comes up often because people say. That don't quite get it say. While he's here goggle what's the big deal he's just a dog if you will all that she's a lot more dogs over there companion animals in general mean a lot more to us that are. It's really a five minute break from the -- That's what it really means and it you know people bond with their pets very very strongly. But then -- overlay that on top to come back from patrol to come back from the very high op tempo situation. And spent ten minutes throwing the ball just love and on the dog. You don't generally do that unless it's companion animal you can't do that with your fellow soldier deaths are well so it gives you break give him great."

" Well mark we thank you so much for your service and Christine for writing the story about -- and we're glad to have all be here and so glad -- happy ending makes things coming and it's a real life --"