There are a lot of wonderful organizations that help deployed soldiers get letters, books, and little things they need but have a hard time getting.
But there's something else that too often gets overlooked — companionship.
Recently, I've seen the story of Nubbs, a dog that was befriended by some soldiers in Iraq. This dog had had its ears cut off, had been stabbed by a screwdriver, and then ran 70 miles to find the soldiers who befriended it. The soldiers kept him at their base, where he provided moral support until a couple of tattle-tales turned the dog in to command.
The other soldiers raised money to get the dog out of Iraq before they were forced to turn it out on the streets or kill it.
Dogs and cats in Iraq have a terrible, violent, short life. But when soldiers take them in, they become a form of therapy, providing an outlet for these people who see so much violence to show some emotion.
From a letter to SPCA International by Sergeant Watson, owner of the first rescued dog:
“Taking care of Charlie gave me something to look forward to and that definitely made my time in Iraq more bearable,” Sergeant Watson explained in his email. “When all the guys got to playing with Charlie, we’d forget where we were, at least temporarily. During those moments you could almost imagine being home.”
Abandoning Charlie in the war-ravaged country would have meant certain death for him. “We all made him a promise that we would not give up on him. For that reason, we have to find a way to get Charlie to a better life in the states,” Sergeant Watson wrote. “We just can’t leave our buddy behind.”
So the SPCA International has started up Operation Baghdad Pups
They need money, donations of things like collars, Lysol wipes — you can even donate frequent flyer miles! Just Twittering about it or adding the donate button to your website or Facebook page is a big help. (Scroll to the bottom of this page to find the social networking options.)
So…this Christmas, if you can spare time, money, or frequent flyer miles for the soldiers, please do. I'm an animal lover, but this isn't just about the animals — it's about the soldiers who risk their lives every day, and who have given their heart to something that means so much to them.
My prayers go out to all our servicemen and women this Christmas. Thank you for your service.
You are officially my fav author right now for making this post. When soldiers go over there, the thing they want most is human normal contact, to speak to someone.
I go over in May, husband in Sept, sister in May, and my BFF is currently there.
Thank you so much for your support!
Monica
We always forget that freedom has a price and you reminded me of the fact that I haven’t really done anything this year for our soldiers. Thanks for the post!
Larissa,
Having just got back in August from my second Iraq tour, I can say without reservation that the few times I was lucky enough to be around dogs (usually military working dogs) were times to be treasured. My first Iraq tour, the battalion sergeant major ‘adopted’ a kitten that lived in the foundation of our headquarters building, and being around Daisy made that tour bearable. Thankfully, Daisy was able to come to the States when our unit left Iraq. To this day, I don’t know how it was arranged, but I’m very glad to hear there is an organization out there trying to make it easier for US troops to get those combat-adopted pets home. They deserve a chance at a better life, especially for the ease which they bring to the hearts of those soldiers around them.
Over there ‘puppy therapy’ is no joke – not when just a few minutes with a dog or cat can help a soldier battle back from whatever bad place his or her experiences have dumped them in. I wish every Joint Base, Forward Operating Base and Combat Operating Base in theater had a team of puppy/kitten therapists for the troops. I can’t see how anything bad could come from such an arrangement.
Just my two cents and shout out for your support of such a great cause!
You ladies are awesome. And Monica, I’m emailing you now. Good luck to you in May, and thank you for your service!