A puppy (illustrative)
A puppy (illustrative)Raphael Poch

Soldiers from the 931st Nahal Brigade found an abandoned puppy next to their base and saved the dog's life during the winter.

The soldiers knew they could not take the dog, which they named Toby, to their next assignment and so they began a Facebook campaign to find the dog a warm and loving family that would adopt it. 

The puppy was starving and on the verge of freezing to death near an army outpost located in Beit Lid, just outside of Netanya. The puppy began to yelp and cry without pause and the two soldiers on duty gathered that the puppy's situation was dire and brought it food and a blanket. At the end of their shift they brought the dog with them to their room so that the dog would not freeze to death. 

Channel 2's military news site PZM reported how attached the soldiers became to the dog. "She was a very small puppy, only three months old. Some of us have pets at home, so we were very sensitive to this situation," said one of the soldiers to a family member.

"Once we saw her we immediately took pity on her," he added. "We couldn't leave her outside in the cold with no food or warmth. So we decided that she would stay with us in our room."

Toby became the central focus of the battalion. The soldiers spoiled her with lots of warmth, love as well as treats and snacks. However, they realized that they could not take her with them to their next assignment which was located on the border of Lebanon. The soldiers decided to begin a campaign on social media in order to get the dog adopted rather than simply leave her on the base. They posted on the Facebook page hayalim mtzaytzim (soldier chatter) and asked those on the page to help find a caring home for their new friend.

The puppy 'Toby'
The puppy 'Toby'Screenshot

Without too much of a delay tens of people offered to adopt Toby. The post received over 1,600 likes and over 240 shares before a family from the Ben Shemen kibbutz drove up to the base and received the dog happily.

"We were very sad when we had to let her go" said one of the soldiers. "We all loved her. She was a part of us, even if it was for only a week. However, we are all very happy that she found a warm and loving home with people who will love her and care for her. It was important for us that she not remain alone on the base once we left."