Many people are familiar with the saying “who rescued who?” when it comes to adopting pets, but for one war veteran, a cat he brought into his home truly saved his life.
Army Sgt. Josh Marino, like many who have served in the military, returned home deeply affected by his experiences. While serving in Iraq, Marino sustained a traumatic brain injury and suffered from severe post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The emotional pain became so overwhelming that he reached a point where he felt he could no longer go on.
“I didn’t want to deal with it anymore,” Marino recalls. “I took out one of my knives… I wrote a letter on my computer and went outside to smoke one last cigarette.”
As he stood outside his barracks at Fort Riley in Kansas, preparing for what he thought would be his final moments, he heard a small sound that would change everything—a soft “meow” from a tiny black and white kitten that appeared out of the bushes.
“He just walked up and started rubbing up against my leg and let me pet him. I broke down crying, burst into tears,” Marino shares in his short film, Josh & Scout, a Mutual Rescue. “Maybe he knew there was something I couldn’t quite handle.”
Marino believes that this little kitten saved his life.
“I stopped thinking about all my problems and started thinking about his problems and what I could do to help him,” Marino says.
The kitten, whom Marino named “Scout,” taught him that he was still capable of caring for someone else and that he could also allow someone to care for him. Marino began feeding Scout every day, and their bond grew stronger. But one day, Scout stopped coming around, leaving Marino feeling a bit heartbroken.
Later, Marino started dating a woman, and they decided to attend a pet adoption event. They wanted to adopt a cat, inspired by the positive impact Scout had on Marino’s life and well-being.
“As we were looking around, all of a sudden, a little black and white paw shot out from a crate and started smacking my left arm,” Marino describes the moment he found Scout at the shelter. “I opened up that cage, and I pulled him out, and I held him tight.”
Marino didn’t hesitate—he signed the adoption papers for Scout on the spot.
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Scout’s presence motivated Marino to make significant changes in his life. He began eating healthier, started exercising, and even quit smoking. Over time, Marino was medically discharged from the Army, married his girlfriend Becky, earned a master’s degree in clinical rehabilitation and mental health counseling, and found a job with the Department of Veteran Affairs, where he now helps other disabled veterans.
Marino continues to share his story of how Scout saved him with fellow veterans, believing that their bond helped him rediscover purpose and hope.
“In my opinion, real men like cats,” Marino says.