Guard Dog…: Soldier shares story of canine companion at Martin Elementary School | News, Sports activities, Jobs

Martin Elementary second-grader Aryaunna Coffey, left, reaches to pet Axel, a German shepherd delivered to the varsity for an meeting Wednesday by his proprietor, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton, proper. Taulton discovered Axel whereas deployed abroad and introduced him again to the U.S. with the assistance of the Paws of War organization. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

PARKERSBURG — For safety causes, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton can’t be too particular about the place she was deployed abroad in the summertime of 2022.

But she’s more than pleased to share what she introduced again: a pleasant German shepherd by the identify of Axel.

Students at Martin Elementary School bought to satisfy Axel Wednesday in an meeting that additionally marked the 387th birthday of the Guard.

Both elements of this system appealed to college students like fourth-grader Hadley Knotts.

“He’s cute,” she stated of Axel. “It was fun, learning about the military.”

Martin Elementary fifth-graders, from left, Kamren Coffey, Jace Barnette and Grace-Anne Goff pet and embrace Axel, a German shepherd belonging to Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton, throughout an meeting on the Parkersburg college Wednesday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Taulton was invited by Martin second-grade instructor Sherry Morris, who learn an article about her in a difficulty of Woman’s World whereas she was on a flight. Seeing that the soldier was from West Virginia, she made contact with a pupil’s father who’s a member of the Guard. He was in a position to attain Taulton, who lives in Inwood and serves within the Guard for the neighboring state of Virginia.

Taulton informed college students about how she encountered the canine attempting to cross a street as she was going out on a mission. She found his entrance legs have been deformed, inflicting him to walk on his wrists relatively than his paws, and one again leg was injured after apparently being hit by a automobile.

“His name is Axel because he only had one working axle when I met him, his back leg,” Taulton stated. “I sat with him there for about an hour, gave him lots of loves.”

She long-established a mattress for him from sticks and leaves away from the street. For weeks, she introduced him meals from the bottom on her solution to and from missions.

There was no pet food on the bottom, and it’s not a part of his weight loss plan now, Taulton stated in response to a pupil’s query about what Axel eats.

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton, proper, watches Wednesday as Martin Elementary kindergarteners, Scarlett Knicely, left, and Zion Ramsey pet her canine Axel, who she discovered whereas deployed abroad in 2022 and was in a position to convey again to the United States with the assistance of the Paws of War organization. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

“He will not eat dog food. He only eats turkey or chicken or meat like that,” she stated.

Knowing dogs aren’t handled the identical within the nation the place she was serving as they’re within the U.S., Taulton stated she shortly determined “there’s no way this dog’s not coming home with me.” Through a Google search, she found Paws of War, a New York-based organization that brings dogs and cats troopers rescue abroad to the United States and offers service dogs for veterans. She reached out to them and so they agreed to assist. After elevating money for a few months, they picked Axel up, made positive he was steady to journey and have paid for surgical procedures and different medical care to assist him.

“It’s all through donations,” Taulton stated.

Axel and Taulton have been reunited stateside in December 2022.

She additionally has one other canine she rescued from abroad, Chancie, a smaller animal who was paralyzed after being hit by a automobile. Thanks to the medical care offered by Paws of War, she’s transferring once more and “a ball of fire,” Taulton stated.

Martin Elementary second-grade instructor Sherry Morris holds the paw of Axel following an meeting on the college Wednesday. Morris examine Axel and his proprietor, Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton, in {a magazine} article and labored with an area Guard member to ask them to the varsity. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

But she doesn’t do nicely with different folks. That’s extra Axel’s pace, regardless of his experiences.

“You would think … he would hate humans or hate other animals, but he absolutely loves humans, as we saw in the assembly,” she stated.

Axel was surrounded by excited college students hugging and petting him wherever he went, attempting to steadiness their pleasure and a must be light.

“I liked how he walked,” reported fourth-grader Emmy Fullerton, seeing Axel’s uncommon gait as a plus.

Wednesday was Axel’s first journey to such an occasion with a big group of individuals, and Taulton stated she was going to determine whether or not to do extra based mostly on his response.

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton speaks to her canine, Axel, throughout an meeting Wednesday at Martin Elementary School in Parkersburg. Also attending the occasion in celebration of the Guard’s 387th birthday was 1st Lt. Josh Mason, proper, who went to the varsity as a baby. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

So far, so good.

“He seemed to love it,” she stated.

Also on the meeting was 1st Lt. Josh Mason, govt officer for the West Virginia Army National Guard’s 601st Engineering Support Company. He’s a Martin alumnus who works for the Guard in Charleston within the space of plans and operations.

Mason didn’t draw back from the problem of retaining children’ consideration with Axel within the room, quizzing them about Guard historical past and giving out free shirts for proper solutions. He acknowledged most have been most likely too young to be eager about school, however steered that as they get older, they think about the Guard, which paid for his schooling as a civil engineer.

“It was definitely cool to kind of look at some kids that were sitting exactly where I sat 15 years ago … (and) tell them about what the Guard’s done for me and the experiences I’ve had,” stated Mason, who nonetheless has household in Parkersburg.

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton calls on a pupil to ask a query throughout an meeting Wednesday at Martin Elementary School the place college students bought to satisfy Taulton and her canine, Axel, and have fun the 387th birthday of the Guard. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Evan Bevins will be reached at [email protected].

Army National Guard 1st Lt. Josh Mason speaks to college students throughout an meeting at Martin Elementary School, which he attended, in celebration of the Guard’s 387th birthday. (Photo by Evan Bevins)

Army National Guard Staff Sgt. Andrea Taulton (Photo by Evan Bevins)