Program reunites Howard County veteran with stray cat she met while deployed

While stationed overseas, a Howard County veteran made a lifelong friend -- a cat she named Gigi.

When it came time to return home, Nicol Stroud knew Gigi had to come, too.

It's been nearly a month since Gigi has been living with the Stroud family in Marriottsville. They were reunited thanks to SPCA International's Patriot Pets program.

Meeting Gigi

Stroud said it didn't take much for Gigi to get comfortable around her.

"She always came around [us], everyone there just kinda started taking care of her," Stroud said.

Soon, Gigi became a staple in Stroud's life in Israel, taking the cat to her apartment, with her to work, they spent almost every second with each other.

So, when her time in Israel was coming up, she knew Gigi had to come to the U.S. with her.

"I talked to my husband and I said we can't leave her behind," Stroud recalled. "She was a stray cat. I didn't know what was gonna happen to her."

A helpful program

As Stroud looked into it, she came across SPCA International's Patriot Pets program.

Since 2008, it's helped rescue over 1,600 dogs and cats and reunite them with servicemembers.

Lori Kalef, SPCA International's director of programs, said the organization handles all of the costs and the red tape.

"We always make sure we're following the governing rules of whichever country we're working in and the import regulations in the United States," Kalef said.

Stroud's husband, Greg Stroud, and their four kids met Gigi when they visited Nicol Stroud in Israel.

He saw the bond between his wife and the cat firsthand.

"[The bond gave] her something to nurture, really have something that [could distract her from work] where she was," he said.

It was a no brainer Gigi would be becoming a part of their family.

Greg Stroud, an Army veteran himself, said he's seen many "tearful goodbyes" because animals servicemembers bonded with couldn't come to the U.S.

"[Getting Gigi here] meant the world to me, I don't know how else to describe it," Nicol Stroud said. "Not having to always wonder what happened to her, knowing she's here in our house, being loved on by four kids, myself, my husband."

Patriot Pets is now in over 35 locations. The program relies on donations and other support to do this work.