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Furry Tails: A Forever Home For The Holidays

A sergeant in the United States Marines is asking for help from his hometown.

Sgt. James Thornton is heading home from overseas deployment. While it's always a blessing to welcome safely home one of the many men and women who bravely serve our country, especially during the holidays, Sgt. Thornton might have to leave behind one of his best friends.

He tells KDKA that while on deployment, he and his unit have adopted a sweet, little kitten. They rescued her after she was abandoned by her mother, they've named her "Bo," and she's living with them in Spain.

"She is spoiled by our love, attention, and treats… of course," Sgt. Thornton says.

Sgt. Thornton's unit is now trying to bring Bo to the United States where they can continue to care for her and give her a loving, warm place to live… a forever home for the holidays and more.

But the costs of transferring her to the U.S. is more than $2,000. So, in hopes of bringing Bo home, Sgt. Thornton has started a GoFundMe page.

"The $2,250 that we are asking will go towards her $1,800 flight (aprox.), multiple vaccinations, a pet passport (insane, I know!), a transport carrier, and various taxes and fees," Sgt. Thornton says on the fundraising page.

The fundraising effort is getting close to reaching its goal, but still has a little ways to go to be put over the top.

That's where the generous people of Pittsburgh, Sgt. Thornton's hometown, comes in.

Sure, Bo may just seem like just another kitten, but to these brave Marines, she is so much more. She has stolen their hearts and become a comfort companion to these military members who have been far away from home for so long.

Sgt. Thornton perhaps says it best, "Bo has helped many of us through tough times on deployment and brought us comfort while being so far away from our homes and family. We have fallen in love with her. We have realized that we need her more than she needs us, so now we are trying to take her back to the United States!"

If you would like to help Sgt. Thornton and his unit bring Bo home to the U.S., visit their GoFundMe page at this link: https://www.gofundme.com/get-bo-to-america

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Stay tuned animal lovers for more Furry Tails! You can follow me on Twitter at @HeatherLang24

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