Local veteran reunited with puppy he befriended in Iraq

SAN MATEO, Calif. (KGO) -- A local veteran who volunteered to fight in Iraq asked for one thing upon his return home -- to bring the dog he befriended back with him. And now, they are reunited.

It wasn't long before the puppy remembered Ken Wyrsh. The last time they saw each other was in Iraq.

Within minutes after the reunion, it was just like old times. "He's a friend and we don't leave friends behind," Wyrsh said.

Wyrsh and Oliver met at a military base near Kirkuk.

They were inseparable. Before Wyrsh left, he contacted SPCA International for help. "If Ken left and Oliver was left behind he would have had a terrible life," SPCA International employee Stephanie Scott said.

The non-profit flew Oliver from Iraq to SFO and to his new life with Wyrsh. "He's going to be with me for the rest of my life," he said.