Today is shaping up to be a big one for Rosie the dog and her Colorado-based family who are set to endure an emotional reunion after being separated for the past 12 months.
Rosie was born on the streets of Kabul in Afghanistan and was taken in by the Baquet family, American citizens who were living in the city running a mining consulting business.
An immediate hit with the Baquet’s two daughters, Rosie slotted into the family immediately. "We brought her home and she was just like running around," explains eldest daughter Jessica.
For close to a decade Rosie and the Baquets enjoyed a blissful relationship filled with happiness, but in 2021, a series of events caused a painful parting of ways.
Traveling to Colorado Springs in June of 2021 for a holiday, James Baquet suffered a stroke that left him unable to travel home, meaning the entire family needed to stay in America to care for him.
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Meanwhile, back in Kabul, Rosie (who was being cared for by neighbors) was stuck in the family home just as the United States pulled out of Afghanistan and the Taliban took over.
The neighbors checking in on Rosie and feeding her said it was becoming too dangerous for them to do so, with the Taliban suspicious of why they were visiting an empty home.
"Eventually people were like, 'yeah no we can't,'" said Jessie Baquet.
The Baquets were terrified that they had lost Rosie forever, but fortunately, they were able to connect with a local charity in Afghanistan who suggested they may be able to get Rosie to the United States.
But it has by no means been an easy journey. With the CDC recently banning dogs from countries where rabies is prevalent (of which Afghanistan is one), Rosie had to be flown to Canada first while the family applied for an exemption - which took six months.
"We filed all the correct documents starting in February and we kept getting denials even though they were the correct documents," explains Jennifer Skiff, Director of International Programs, Animal Wellness Action.
Finally, on Friday, after eight long months spent in a kennel in Vancouver, Rosie was granted permission to enter the United States and touched down in Seattle. From there, Rosie has been driven across the country and is expected to arrive in Colorado Springs just in time for the Fourth of July festivities. The Baquets couldn’t be happier.
"I just think it's like adding the last piece of the puzzle," said Jessie.
