Zamora said many airmen aren’t aware of what Minot has to offer, and she and the other ADLs at the base were brainstorming what they could do to help the airmen “de-stress and decompress” from the long hours and other stresses from life in the military. According to Zamora, Assistant ADL Felicia Dole brought up her pets at home and how they help her deal with stress, and the idea came up to bring animals onto the base.

Zamora took the lead on coordinating with For Belle’s Sake, a local rescue, to bring animals to visit the dorms and the airmen calling them home.

For Belle’s Sake brought some of its animals to visit the Minot AFB airmen on Thursday to help boost morale and offer an opportunity to interact with animals in need of homes.

This was a free event, coordinated by Zamora, Dole and Shelby Bird, and her husband Christian, both active-duty military members who started For Belle’s Sake.

Lily Normandin, an airman at Minot Air Force Base, spends time Thursday with Bacardi, a rescue dog seeking adoption.

Shelby Bird said she and her husband have been bringing animals to the base for the last two or three years, and the visits have been greatly beneficial to the airmen and the animals. Bird said many of the airmen had to leave their pets behind when they joined the Air Force, so having the animals brings them some comfort.

At a previous event, Bird said an airman was walking in from work, visibly upset and noticed a dog. Her face lit up, Bird said, and she spent the rest of the evening sharing time with the animal.

“It has a huge impact on some of our airmen,” Bird said.

Airmen are welcome to “walk them, hug them or just hang out with them,” according to Bird, who holds the opinion that “nothing can help with stress like a pet.”

“I think it’s an amazing morale booster. There’s nothing that petting dogs and cats can’t fix. It takes stress away. It feels beautiful,” said Marianna Alcauter, one of the airmen visiting with the pets Thursday.

Zamora acknowledged that options for airmen to decompress can be limited, and said having the animals come by even once in a while is a good thing. She said being able to spend time with the animals can be “like a little piece of home.”

Zamora said airmen are always excited for the event, some missing their pets from home, and she sympathized, as she also had to leave a pet.

An additional benefit of the animals visiting the dorms, Bird said, is airmen don’t have to volunteer to visit and have their attention divided. This way, she said, the airmen don’t need to focus on anything other than their furry guests.

“It’s just another way we try to give back to those who serve us is to try to support them as much as we can,” Bird said.

Dole and Zamora plan to try to host more visits from For Belle’s Sake.