Change military policy about animals
NO BUDDY LEFT BEHIND : Helping soldiers keep their pets
Rescind General Order-1A provision against animals
From the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, we hear the heartwarming stories of Cinnamon, Lava, Charlie, Boo and Ratchet. They are the dogs of war - pets and mascots of our American soldiers who have rescued and cared for these animals trapped in the chaos of human conflict.
We also hear the tales of heartbreak. The pets and mascots of our soldiers are fugitives - victims a military order that requires the killing of animals harbored by American soldiers in combat zones.
Army Spc. Gwen Beberg rescued a homeless puppy from a burning pile of trash while on active duty in Iraq last May and named the puppy Ratchet. She says she could have not made it through her 13-month deployment without the companionship of Ratchet. But, Ratchet needed to be rescued a second time - this time from the United States military.
General Order 1A prohibits conduct that compromises characters and morale. This also includes a strict prohibition on the keeping of pets, even though soldiers' pets provide immeasurable comfort and would clearly enhance morale, not compromise it.
Because of these regulations the military has a habit of confiscating and killings animals rescued by our troops rather than allowing our men and women of the Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much to adopt and take home the animals that have helped them through the horrors of war.
Our troops and their pets should not suffer anymore. Urge the military to rescind this part of GO-1A.
Ratchet was lucky. Tens of thousands of citizens just like you signed a petition urging clemency for Ratchet. And, after several tries the wonderful people of the SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pup program were able to secure his release and bring him home to Minnesota where he now waits for Sgt. Beberg's return.
Many other dogs and cats of our brave service men and women still need our help. Everyone of us, no matter our opinion of the current war is, can support our troops by asking the Department of Defense to immediately end their policy against confiscating and killing our soldiers rescued pets.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
It is time that Americans ask the Veterans Administration and military to embrace the mental health of all our soldiers.
Urge the Department of Defense to reverse military policy about soldiers keeping pets.
Tell them that a policy that includes a vaccination campaign would not only be good for public health, but also good for the soldier's morale.
And, finally show a cooperative spirit with the efforts of rescue groups helping those soldiers who wish to adopt their pets and transport them back to America for safe keeping. The benefits to the soldiers returning from war to find their pet waiting their for them is undeniably beneficial to the soldier's mental and emotional well being.
Here is a : Sample Letter to DOD
Donations to - M.A.R.S. Safe Haven
U.S. Soldiers and their beloved pets need our help!
UPDATE:
Bandaid - rescued from Iraq, November 2008
SPCA International completed FIVE rescue missions into Iraq in March 2009. They hope to return to Iraq in May to rescue more dogs & cats for our soldiers before the heat embargoes go into effect.
Washington, DC, November 5 - Operation Baghdad Pups is a SPCA International (http://www.spca.com/) initiative created to provide medical care, clearance and transport for animals U.S. soldiers have come to love during deployment in the Middle East. Today, SPCA International successfully rescued a therapy dog from Iraq that has served hundreds of U.S. servicemen and women in their struggle to maintain mental stability during their deployment in Iraq. The dog was appropriately named Bandaid by mental health NCO SSG Luke Henry who befriended her and trained her to help comfort hundreds of soldiers on a base near Baghdad.
"Bandaid has helped me stay sane and has shown love to many other soldiers. I counsel as many as 15 soldiers a day, but Bandaid is often a better counselor than me. Her wagging tail can do more for soldiers than hours spent talking to me in some instances. One soldier walks a mile from the other side of the FOB just to see her," explains SSG Luke Henry.
Bandaid was rescued along with 3 other soldiers' dogs. All 4 dogs will arrive at Dulles International Airport in Virginia tomorrow afternoon.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East befriend animals in the war zone to help themselves cope with the hardship and terror they face every day. These dogs and cats become their lifeline - saving them from deep depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The military refuses to formally recognize the lifeline these animals give to our mentally wounded soldiers.
SSG Luke Henry and his family request donations be made at www.SPCA.com to help more soldiers save the animals they love from the war zone. SPCA International is a non-profit animal welfare organization that has been helping U.S. troops rescue their pets since September 2007. Operation Baghdad Pups is sponsored by I Love Dogs, Inc (www.ilovedogs.com/) and funded entirely by generous donations from the public.
News from SPCA International, November 4, 2008
SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups will bring home 4 more dogs this Thursday, arriving at Washington Dulles. We will highlight one of the dog's stories tomorrow. Please donate to Operation Baghdad Pups and support our troops and their pets.
READ MORE:
General Order 1-A (GO-1A) is a set of regulations formulated by the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in late 2000, prohibiting the keeping of animals stating the conduct is "prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline of all forces."
The other provisions of GO-1A forbids alcohol in nations where its use is frowned upon; bars soldiers from entering sites of religious significance except under special order; bans drug use, pornography, and gambling; bars religious proselytizing; and criminalizes the theft or destruction of archaeological artifacts or national treasures and the taking of souvenirs. These are understandable provisions.
However, caring for an animal or pet should not be among these offenses. The military refuses to help or formally recognize the lifeline these animals give to our mentally wounded. Veterans returned from Iraq are committing suicide at twice the rate of average Americans.
We have heard from many service members in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking intervention in the fate of their rescued animals who are in grave danger of being confiscated and killed by military authorities. Soldiers have confirmed that the there is an order to kill dogs found on American bases in Iraq. Some military units were also ordered to shoot animals on sight.
The goodhearted service members are no less culpable in the eyes of military brass; those who breach the policy on pets face the threat of serious punishment, including reduction in rank and court-martial.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East have befriended animals in the war zone to help themselves cope with the hardship and terror they face every day. These dogs and cats become their lifeline - saving them from deep depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The DOD's rationale behind this provision is also one of "public health concern" for which the DOD actually hired contractors to kills dogs and cats in Iraq. Perhaps a more humane approach should have been investing in the shipment and distribution of rabies vaccines rather than hiring contractors to kill animals. And, if a soldier decides to befriend a dog or cat, he or she should immediately apply for a vaccine to cement that friendship and make it a safer one.
We could minimize the risk created by shipping pets to the United States by requiring that no animals be sent from Iraq or Afghanistan unless vaccinated at least 30 days prior to entry and placed in an extended stateside quarantine for further observation.
Whatever its motivations for the confiscation and killing of animals, our government should do more to reconcile the imperatives of public health with the humane treatment of animals and the well being of its military personnel. The keeping of animals by soldiers is an American tradition, one that should be honored and celebrated. Even soldiers during the American Civil War had animal mascots. The GO-1A is a grim "about-face."
The military needs to do whatever it necessary to encourage and sustain the morale of the men and woman in our Armed Forces. Given all that we know about the mental health benefits of keeping companion animals, why not strive for a kinder and better solution for the soldiers who risk their lives each day? But there is an even larger purpose at issue. The military's current draconian approach is inconsistent with its own actions in helping to build an animal shelter to anchor the new animal welfare organization in Iraq. By honoring our soldiers' compassionate inclinations, we can set a better example for Iraqis who, it is to be hoped, will embrace animal welfare as an important element in the reconstruction of civil society in their nation.
FYI: During the Vietnam War the U.S. Military had 4,000 dogs working side by side with our troops every day - search and destroy missions, locating dead and wounded, locating mines and traps, for example. When the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, it deemed these dogs that had given faithful service to our troops as now "expendable equipment."
Of the 4,000 dogs that were a part of our Armed Forces in Vietnam - only 200 made it back home. The rest were released into the wild to either roam in packs, be eaten by the Vietnamese people, and many (if not most) were killed.
We have heard from many Veterans, asking that we never allow this disregard for the importance of animals to our soldiers to ever happen again. Vietnam veterans are still haunted to this day by the memories of the dogs they were forced to leave behind. We all OWE it to the troops, our Veterans and those animals to make sure that ANY negative policy towards animals changes.
Thank you,
M.A.R.S. Safe Haven
http://www.mars-safehaven.net/
Mailing List: info@mars-safehaven.net
Share your stories about soldiers and their pets at:
stories@mar-safehaven.net
Saving Private Ratchet gear at: www.cafepress.com/ratchet22
All proceeds benefit the SPCA.
The people of M.A.R.S. Safe Haven, SPCA International and Care2.com are dedicated to the cause of helping soldiers adopt their pets and securing safe passage for them back to the U.S., as well as efforts to rescind the current military policy towards soldiers and animals, prohibiting such actions.
Remarks to the Daughters of the American Revolution (Washington, D.C.)
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Washington, D.C., Friday, July 11, 2008
"...And, of course... One group leads an international effort to bring back to the United States dogs that have been adopted in theater ... and that units are loath to leave behind. It may seem a small thing, but in the midst of war, cats and dogs become part of the unit. As one soldier said, Even the gnarliest dudes turn to putty around...our dogs."
Sponsors of the Clemency for Ratchet petition
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet
Sources:
http://www.spca.com/ 
ONLINE PETITIONS CAN AND DO WORK:
See for yourself -
News stories from Ratchet petition:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4958594.ece
http://www.8statekate.net/wordpress/?p=409
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet - RATCHET PETITION
NO BUDDY LEFT BEHIND : Helping soldiers keep their pets
Rescind General Order-1A provision against animals
From the war zones of Iraq and Afghanistan, we hear the heartwarming stories of Cinnamon, Lava, Charlie, Boo and Ratchet. They are the dogs of war - pets and mascots of our American soldiers who have rescued and cared for these animals trapped in the chaos of human conflict.
We also hear the tales of heartbreak. The pets and mascots of our soldiers are fugitives - victims a military order that requires the killing of animals harbored by American soldiers in combat zones.
Army Spc. Gwen Beberg rescued a homeless puppy from a burning pile of trash while on active duty in Iraq last May and named the puppy Ratchet. She says she could have not made it through her 13-month deployment without the companionship of Ratchet. But, Ratchet needed to be rescued a second time - this time from the United States military.
General Order 1A prohibits conduct that compromises characters and morale. This also includes a strict prohibition on the keeping of pets, even though soldiers' pets provide immeasurable comfort and would clearly enhance morale, not compromise it.
Because of these regulations the military has a habit of confiscating and killings animals rescued by our troops rather than allowing our men and women of the Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much to adopt and take home the animals that have helped them through the horrors of war.
Our troops and their pets should not suffer anymore. Urge the military to rescind this part of GO-1A.
Ratchet was lucky. Tens of thousands of citizens just like you signed a petition urging clemency for Ratchet. And, after several tries the wonderful people of the SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pup program were able to secure his release and bring him home to Minnesota where he now waits for Sgt. Beberg's return.
Many other dogs and cats of our brave service men and women still need our help. Everyone of us, no matter our opinion of the current war is, can support our troops by asking the Department of Defense to immediately end their policy against confiscating and killing our soldiers rescued pets.
WHAT YOU CAN DO
It is time that Americans ask the Veterans Administration and military to embrace the mental health of all our soldiers.
Urge the Department of Defense to reverse military policy about soldiers keeping pets.
Tell them that a policy that includes a vaccination campaign would not only be good for public health, but also good for the soldier's morale.
And, finally show a cooperative spirit with the efforts of rescue groups helping those soldiers who wish to adopt their pets and transport them back to America for safe keeping. The benefits to the soldiers returning from war to find their pet waiting their for them is undeniably beneficial to the soldier's mental and emotional well being.
Here is a : Sample Letter to DOD
Donations to - M.A.R.S. Safe Haven
U.S. Soldiers and their beloved pets need our help!
UPDATE:
Bandaid - rescued from Iraq, November 2008
SPCA International completed FIVE rescue missions into Iraq in March 2009. They hope to return to Iraq in May to rescue more dogs & cats for our soldiers before the heat embargoes go into effect.
Washington, DC, November 5 - Operation Baghdad Pups is a SPCA International (http://www.spca.com/) initiative created to provide medical care, clearance and transport for animals U.S. soldiers have come to love during deployment in the Middle East. Today, SPCA International successfully rescued a therapy dog from Iraq that has served hundreds of U.S. servicemen and women in their struggle to maintain mental stability during their deployment in Iraq. The dog was appropriately named Bandaid by mental health NCO SSG Luke Henry who befriended her and trained her to help comfort hundreds of soldiers on a base near Baghdad.
"Bandaid has helped me stay sane and has shown love to many other soldiers. I counsel as many as 15 soldiers a day, but Bandaid is often a better counselor than me. Her wagging tail can do more for soldiers than hours spent talking to me in some instances. One soldier walks a mile from the other side of the FOB just to see her," explains SSG Luke Henry.
Bandaid was rescued along with 3 other soldiers' dogs. All 4 dogs will arrive at Dulles International Airport in Virginia tomorrow afternoon.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East befriend animals in the war zone to help themselves cope with the hardship and terror they face every day. These dogs and cats become their lifeline - saving them from deep depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). The military refuses to formally recognize the lifeline these animals give to our mentally wounded soldiers.
SSG Luke Henry and his family request donations be made at www.SPCA.com to help more soldiers save the animals they love from the war zone. SPCA International is a non-profit animal welfare organization that has been helping U.S. troops rescue their pets since September 2007. Operation Baghdad Pups is sponsored by I Love Dogs, Inc (www.ilovedogs.com/) and funded entirely by generous donations from the public.
News from SPCA International, November 4, 2008
SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups will bring home 4 more dogs this Thursday, arriving at Washington Dulles. We will highlight one of the dog's stories tomorrow. Please donate to Operation Baghdad Pups and support our troops and their pets.
READ MORE:
General Order 1-A (GO-1A) is a set of regulations formulated by the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) in late 2000, prohibiting the keeping of animals stating the conduct is "prejudicial to the maintenance of good order and discipline of all forces."
The other provisions of GO-1A forbids alcohol in nations where its use is frowned upon; bars soldiers from entering sites of religious significance except under special order; bans drug use, pornography, and gambling; bars religious proselytizing; and criminalizes the theft or destruction of archaeological artifacts or national treasures and the taking of souvenirs. These are understandable provisions.
However, caring for an animal or pet should not be among these offenses. The military refuses to help or formally recognize the lifeline these animals give to our mentally wounded. Veterans returned from Iraq are committing suicide at twice the rate of average Americans.
We have heard from many service members in Iraq and Afghanistan seeking intervention in the fate of their rescued animals who are in grave danger of being confiscated and killed by military authorities. Soldiers have confirmed that the there is an order to kill dogs found on American bases in Iraq. Some military units were also ordered to shoot animals on sight.
The goodhearted service members are no less culpable in the eyes of military brass; those who breach the policy on pets face the threat of serious punishment, including reduction in rank and court-martial.
Hundreds of U.S. soldiers in the Middle East have befriended animals in the war zone to help themselves cope with the hardship and terror they face every day. These dogs and cats become their lifeline - saving them from deep depression and Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The DOD's rationale behind this provision is also one of "public health concern" for which the DOD actually hired contractors to kills dogs and cats in Iraq. Perhaps a more humane approach should have been investing in the shipment and distribution of rabies vaccines rather than hiring contractors to kill animals. And, if a soldier decides to befriend a dog or cat, he or she should immediately apply for a vaccine to cement that friendship and make it a safer one.
We could minimize the risk created by shipping pets to the United States by requiring that no animals be sent from Iraq or Afghanistan unless vaccinated at least 30 days prior to entry and placed in an extended stateside quarantine for further observation.
Whatever its motivations for the confiscation and killing of animals, our government should do more to reconcile the imperatives of public health with the humane treatment of animals and the well being of its military personnel. The keeping of animals by soldiers is an American tradition, one that should be honored and celebrated. Even soldiers during the American Civil War had animal mascots. The GO-1A is a grim "about-face."
The military needs to do whatever it necessary to encourage and sustain the morale of the men and woman in our Armed Forces. Given all that we know about the mental health benefits of keeping companion animals, why not strive for a kinder and better solution for the soldiers who risk their lives each day? But there is an even larger purpose at issue. The military's current draconian approach is inconsistent with its own actions in helping to build an animal shelter to anchor the new animal welfare organization in Iraq. By honoring our soldiers' compassionate inclinations, we can set a better example for Iraqis who, it is to be hoped, will embrace animal welfare as an important element in the reconstruction of civil society in their nation.
FYI: During the Vietnam War the U.S. Military had 4,000 dogs working side by side with our troops every day - search and destroy missions, locating dead and wounded, locating mines and traps, for example. When the U.S. pulled out of Vietnam, it deemed these dogs that had given faithful service to our troops as now "expendable equipment."
Of the 4,000 dogs that were a part of our Armed Forces in Vietnam - only 200 made it back home. The rest were released into the wild to either roam in packs, be eaten by the Vietnamese people, and many (if not most) were killed.
We have heard from many Veterans, asking that we never allow this disregard for the importance of animals to our soldiers to ever happen again. Vietnam veterans are still haunted to this day by the memories of the dogs they were forced to leave behind. We all OWE it to the troops, our Veterans and those animals to make sure that ANY negative policy towards animals changes.
Thank you,
M.A.R.S. Safe Haven
http://www.mars-safehaven.net/
Mailing List: info@mars-safehaven.net
Share your stories about soldiers and their pets at:
stories@mar-safehaven.net
Saving Private Ratchet gear at: www.cafepress.com/ratchet22
All proceeds benefit the SPCA.
The people of M.A.R.S. Safe Haven, SPCA International and Care2.com are dedicated to the cause of helping soldiers adopt their pets and securing safe passage for them back to the U.S., as well as efforts to rescind the current military policy towards soldiers and animals, prohibiting such actions.
Remarks to the Daughters of the American Revolution (Washington, D.C.)
As Delivered by Secretary of Defense Robert M. Gates, Washington, D.C., Friday, July 11, 2008
"...And, of course... One group leads an international effort to bring back to the United States dogs that have been adopted in theater ... and that units are loath to leave behind. It may seem a small thing, but in the midst of war, cats and dogs become part of the unit. As one soldier said, Even the gnarliest dudes turn to putty around...our dogs."
Sponsors of the Clemency for Ratchet petition
www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet
Sources:
http://www.spca.com/
ONLINE PETITIONS CAN AND DO WORK:
See for yourself -
News stories from Ratchet petition:
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/iraq/article4958594.ece
http://www.8statekate.net/wordpress/?p=409
http://www.thepetitionsite.com/2/clemency-for-ratchet - RATCHET PETITION
These pets provide unconditional love to our Soldiers while so far from home in war torn countries. They offer companionship, comfort and love. They happily give unconditional LOVE to the tired and emotionally batterd soldier. These pups deserve to live and they deserve to come home with their soldier when his/her task of war is done. We urge you to change the military's police about animals ....The life you save may not only be the animal but the soldiers as well ..
IT's time to revise this law and to authorize people to adopt an animal from abroad. Furthermore it's a dog of war. We destroy the environment in no time and it's time to change our way of thinking.
I have over 100,000 frequent flyer miles and would give me such joy to help in this matter - I think this is appalling and disgraceful for a soldier to be treated so disrespectfully. I will help in any way I can. Nubs made it back to the United States and I pray to God that the other soldiers will be blest to be back with their loved ones. Karen in Texas
We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals. ~Immanual Kant
Please let this dog come home where it belongs with this soldier.
|
7:47 am PST, Nov 2,
Beth Martinez, Colorado
God Bless our Military Personnel. Its such a small request that should be granted for the enormous courage and sacrafice our men and women give while serving their country to protect us. Please allow these animals a chance to have a better life; they are truly "man's best friend." Dogs make the world a far better place to live. They teach us love. Thank you. |
“The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way its animals are treated” ~ Mahatma Gandhi
There is no better healer to a hurt mind of a PTSD wounded soldier than the rescue and care of and for a lost, wounded, orphaned pet in a combat zone. Change you archaic anti life of animals policy, Secretary Gates, and the rest of the military. It can only help these soldiers, not harm them if they can help out these pour souls... It is something WE all as Americans and Veterans can be PROUD of in this drawn out conflict with no end in sight... Thank you with al the sincerity I have, -Sean O'Connor (Army Veteran)
As much as we long for company and soulmate in our life, so are they. It is a sin to separate those who have found love within each other only because one part is no homo sapiens.
Their faces and memories forever warm my soul and haunt my heart. For many of us they were and are still a part of the team. Change this polcy so we can truly fulfill our motto of, "Never leaving a teammate behind."
We must do something to keep these people together with their loving companions. The bond between people and dogs is so great that we should do all we can to see that this trust is not broken.
As a veteran of the Cold War, I can't imagine how the soldiers cope with this hot war, but I can imagine how comforting an animal could be to them. I also don't understand the military's shortsighted view of animals in a war zone. Let's hope the brass come to understand the tremendous therapeutic possibilities of these pets.
Let the pup come home its new family!
|
4:40 am PDT, Sep 30,
Vincent Von luijk, Netherlands
Buenos Dias Mariposa. This is really great what you do,love you for that.I want to send you lots of respect,love and happinez from the Netherlands. I hope you to will come together,because this is something that just should be this way.Love and respect -Vincent |
Every living thing deserves to be loved. We will all be rewarded for the simple things we do in life and condemned for what we do not!
Please allow our troops to bring home the animals that have given them some smidgen of peace and joy while fighting for all of us at home. They have been asked to leave loved ones once, don't make them leave another in such a terrible environment.
I am currently serving in the US Army as is my amazing wife. We have been put through so much while serving our tour in Afghanistan. The one thing that has kept moral up and from keeping my wife from having a total melt down while we are in separate parts of the country is an adorable puppy named "Brownie." She saved Brownie from being abused or killed by local nationals and the US Army. Brownie has won the heart and affection of my wife and she has become a part of the family. Please allow Brownie to become an official part of our family and be sent back home.
The pet provides an emotional void for a soldier while he is away from everything he loves. To break that bond when the soldier leaves is just another heart ache a soldier should not have to take after all that he has given up for his country. Please allow the bond between a soldier and his companion continue when he goes home. Thanks
I hope that Ratchet is able to be helped!
animals have a right to a safe life too. these animals provide comfort to soldiers in a frightening situation. even general george patton traveled with his bull terrier through europe during world war II.
With all that our soldiers do for our country, I think the very least the government can do for their happiness is to let them keep the pets they've bonded with in some of the scariest times of their lives. Those animals boost morale and get our soldiers through a lot. We owe it to the animals and to their soldiers to keep them together and provide for their well-being.
As a Marine Corps Veteran myself, I can only think of how low morale got in the long days away from home. Being at war is hard enough, but having something that shows unconditional love and friendship is so beneficial for mental and emotion well being, that it is a shame our government policies continue to be archiac and heartless. We (as a country) saw how much the Dog Troops of the Marine Corps not only helped save the lives of their handlers and other Marines, but how much they boosted the morale just by their being around. These animals are living creatures, capable of feeling fear, love, and self-awareness. Ghandi once said "You can judge the character of a nation by the way it treats its animals." If we claim to be in Iraq for Democracy, and we are trying to right the wrongs of Afghanistan, then let us also lead the way in showing our compassion to the least of our brothers, the animals. Send these dogs and cats home. It is the very least you can do for the courage and sacrifice you are asking our young people of.
I don't think I could say it any better than alot of the posts already made. Please do rescind your order against animals. It seems to me KEEPING THEM is a win win all around.
Aren't you aware of the positive impact that animals have on people's lives? Ever heard of therapy dogs for autistic children, elderly people, patients with fatal diseases? Animals are soothing, therapeutic, and help offset the negative impacts of depression, disease, etc. Who needs their beloved animal more than a traumatized soldier returning from war? WAKE UP and CHANGE THIS STUPID POLICY!
our brave service people should be allowed to extend compassion and kindness to 4 legged creatures. in turn, those creatures should be afforded rescue....after "rescuing" the humans who loved them.
Please consider letting our brave men and women bring their beloved rescue dogs/cats home. They are out there fighting for our country sold hard and are TRUE HERO'S. These precious animals maybe the one link/think that has kept them sane and got them through the hard days and night. Not only are these men and women hero's these animals are too! Give them a chance at life with "their" hero's, the men and women who rescued them. Thank you for your time.
It is appalling that the American military orders the killing of defenseless animals. This is cowardly and must stop!
I think it is important for soldiers to be able to keep the animals they rescue while on duty. The bond between animals and humans is strong and I can see how it would be very helpful to soldiers moral to have an animal companion while they are on duty and then important to their emotional healing after they return home to be able to bring their animals with them. After all the soldiers give up for us, it is cruel and senseless to kill the pets the soldiers have rescued and care for-- cruel to the soldiers and to the pets. I hope you will see fit to change your policies to allow soldiers to keep the pets they rescue and to adopt them and bring them home.
How can this not break your heart? How can we be so heartless to the animals that help our soldiers get through such a rough time? This should stop. Now.
Breed-specific legislation has now extended its ugly reach to the military and that needs to change. This is a slap in the face to the military, their pets, Sgt. Stubby, Dexter, and the countless, many other courageous, brave, and heroic U.S military service dogs and animals. How sad that our government is rewarding our brave servicemen and women by taking their beloved family pets from them. Animals are therapeutic and comforting to soldiers, especially the soldiers with PTSD or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. They also give our servicemen and women a sense of security. I have PTSD and have found my own pit bulls to be very therapeutic. During World War I, the Pit Bull was often used to represent America. Sgt. Stubby, a pit Bull Terrier mix, WWI, was the most decorated war dog in U.S. history. Dexter is a Navy veteran who served in Iraq with his handler, Petty Officer 1st Class Kathleen Ellison. One of the 10-year-old German shepherd's heroic actions occurred in July 2004, when he detected explosives on the gas tank of a garbage truck that would have targeted a mess hall for U.S. troops at Abu Ghraib prison in Baghdad. He saved 800-1000 lives in just one incident! We can not ignore these heroic acts, or the needs of our servicemen and women. Nor should we forget to reward our service animals for their heroic actions. Many soldiers have their TODAYS and TOMORROWS because of what these military service dogs did YESTERDAY. Please, BRING OUR SERVICEMEN & WOMEN BACK HOME TO LIVE WITH THE HEROIC ANIMALS & PETS THEY LOVE & CARE FOR! Please don’t take their animals away from them. Please change the military policy about animals for the sake of servicemen and women, their beloved pets or family members, our service animals, and our country. Thank you.
