A few years ago, I shared the story of my combat puppy. His name was Spooky Voodoolicious McStinkalot. We found him on the side of road after an IED had detonated and killed his mom and many of his litter mates. His mom probably saved the lives of my team or other troops as we used that route quite often.
We decided to take Spooky into our care after recognizing that he was probably the only one that was going to survive. He stunk to high heavens, which is why we gave him the last name. The rest of his name was a combination of our callsign and the callsign of our fellow PsyOps unit with whom we went on many missions (we were China Spook and they were China Voodoo, China being the callsign of the unit we were attached to at the time, 3-15 Infantry).
Anyway, when I wrote about Spooky I also mentioned a project called Baghdad Pups and I want to share an article from the SPCA International that appeared in Semper Fi Magazine recently that was sent to me. I’m sharing this with permission.
There are lots of things a Marine hopes for while deployed. To get through a day alive, a care package from home, a hot meal, dry socks, to feel the thrill of victory and for some to bring a dog they befriended home from Iraq. SPCA International’s Operation Baghdad Pups program has made this possible for some of these Marines in spite of countless obstacles.
SPCA International began the program in early 2008, and Charlie was the first rescued pup to put his paws on American soil. It was an amazing accomplishment that was months in the works. Since February 14, 2008, 447 dogs and cats have left the brutal life in Iraq behind and are now living with the servicemember who did the right thing and didn’t leave their buddy behind. For these dogs and cats they will not have to endure the brutal hardships the animals remaining in Iraq will never be able to escape from.
Each of the individuals who made the choice to save the animal that unexpectedly entered their life knew it was against regulations. None of them went to war intending to bring back a four legged companion. It seems that when a dog or cat was found, it was right after some unnerving experience that devastated a group of people. Marines are trained to endure a great deal, but when you get right down to it, they are still human beings. Everyone reaches a point where having a shoulder to cry on, a reassuring hug or a pat on the back is what they need. The source of comfort for many of those individuals fighting in Iraq became one special dog or cat that had an amazing way of making them feel better and therefore got them through another grueling day.
One of those dogs was named Moody. He wandered onto a Forward Operation Base (FOB) one day and everyone took an immediate liking to him. For over a week the puppy gave the unit a break from the routines of war. He was like having a piece of home right in the middle of Iraq. Then a commanding officer found out about Moody and he had to go. He was taken to a location far enough away from the FOB so he could not return, yet in an area where the guys who cared about him were hopeful he could survive. Not long after that five of the guys in the unit were killed during a suicide bombing. For those who survived, life was hell. That night, much to everyone’s surprise, Moody suddenly showed back up. He had a personality similar to one of the guys that had been killed and having Moody living with them again made them feel a connection to the friend they had lost. When the commanding officer saw how this puppy helped morale he decided this time Moody could stay.
“I think that if Moody had not been around there would have been a lot of lost souls in the company,” explains Army Staff Sergeant Bryan Spears. “I think bringing Moody [to the U.S.] for us is one of the coolest things that someone can do for a soldier. In a way, I get to take part of my friends that were killed over there back home.”
There was another puppy that was found when he was still small enough to fit in your hand. A mental health team felt sorry for the orphan and took him in. Given his size he was easy to hide at first, but as he grew and discovered how to bark it became more difficult to keep him a secret. Fearing the day was coming when the team would be told to get rid of the puppy, they decided to make the puppy an unofficial pet therapy dog. Patton assumed his new role with all the confidence of a professional. Whenever this unassuming puppy was in the room during a therapy session the individuals were more comfortable to open up and talk about what was bothering them. The team was real impressed with Patton’s ability to help even though he had no idea of the effect he was having on those people whose lives he touched.
The war in Iraq has taken its toll on human lives. Those who did not make it home alive paid the highest price, as did their families and friends. Then there are those individuals who did return home but they feel like a part of them did not survive the war. Each day is a struggle with unwelcomed reminders of the time they spent in a combat zone. For many of the servicemembers who had a rescued dog or cat that was their buddy in Iraq to greet them when they returned to civilian life, found the adjustment was easier.
One of those individuals had been deployed to Iraq three times. After returning home the first two times he had a difficult time getting back into step with the life he knew before the war. It was easier to deal with it by sleeping the day away or sitting in front of the TV drinking beer. The third time he came home the dog he had befriended was waiting for him. While they were together in Iraq they had a routine of going for a long run first thing every morning. When the dog’s running buddy would not get up, he would sit by the side of the bed and repeatedly smack him with his paw. Eventually, the soldier gave in and the two of them went for their run.
When they got back, the guy did not fall back into bed or plop himself down in front of the TV with a beer in hand. The run was enough of a jumpstart to get him through the rest of the day and the next day and the day after. This Iraqi veteran was back to being himself in a lot less time and he had the dog to thank for playing a big part in making this happen.
SPCA International feels these dogs and cats that have lived with United States troops and endured many of the same things they have can provide tremendous therapeutic value. At a time when Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and incidents of suicide are on the increase amongst veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan; looking at these animals as a way for these men and women to help deal with the emotional scars of war has a great deal of validity. Regulations can be amended to ensure any health and safety issues related to these animals living with the troops are properly addressed.
Most of the Operation Baghdad Pups dogs and cats arrive in the United States before their owner. This has provided unexpected benefits. Family members have said that receiving the animal their family member cared for makes it feels like a piece of their loved one already arrived home. One father told his young daughter that just before he handed his dog off to the security company delivering him to the airport in Baghdad, he gave the pup a huge hug. “Now, any time you are really missing me, what I want you to do is go hug your new puppy and know that it’ll be like I’m hugging you back,” the father explained. This was a child having a difficult time with her father being absent from her life. The puppy made it easier for her to get through the days until her dad came home.
There still are members of the military in the Middle East and stationed around the world, desperate to bring their buddy home. The efforts of SPCA International’s Operation Baghdad Pups program will continue and is expanding to serve U.S. servicemembers worldwide, as the war in Iraq winds down and the United States eventually decreases its presence in the Middle East. SPCA International has come to understand the extremely special bond that grows between an animal and someone facing the hardships of deployment on a daily basis. It is our hope to reunite as many of our veterans with their dog or cat on American soil as possible.
To request assistance from Operation Baghdad Pups go to the SPCA International website at www.spcai.org. On the site there is detailed information about the program as well as an application that needs to be completed.
To support the ongoing efforts of Operation Baghdad Pups to bring more four legged war time buddies home from Iraq you can find information on how to donate at www.spcai.org. SPCA International receives no funding from the government.
Band-aid, an impromptu service dog in Iraq.
Thanks for that great set of stories, CJ.
I want to share about how I got our late, great cat, Twister.
I was home alone, doing laundry when I thought I heard a woman scream.
I ran to where it came from and found a small group of young children (all Hispanic) playing soccer with a cat and her 5 kittens.
The cat and four of the kittens were already dead from being the soccer balls.
Only one muddy kitten was still moving.
When I grabbed it one of the boys tried to do a Pele move and kick it out of my hand which prevented by lifting the kitten over my head to safety.
Then they started claiming the animal was ”theirs.”
I took it to the laundry and washed it off.
It was a black & white short hair male kitten.
I dried it and drove it to the vet.
She found broken ribs and internal injuries.
After her treatments I took it home a couple days later.
I knew hubby didn’t want another pet.
But when he came home that night and met Twister, and learned his story, he bonded with the kitten and named him.
The movie Twister was out at the time and the kitten’s face looked asymmetrical, like it got hit by a twister.
Twister was a great pet.
He never played favorites but loved us both.
He was also a really good cat.
Smart and obedient.
Without a hint of illness Twister died in his sleep not too long ago.
@Nan G: That’s terrible. I think if I had seen that, I’d be making some heads into soccer balls! That cat will never forget you.
Thank you Nan and CJ. You are both good hearted people.
What is it that makes so many people cruel and without compassion for the animals that are just looking for a friend.
I recently had the honor to work with a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan. In Afghanistan they had a dog they had rescued that returned the favor several times over. He would run ahead of the patrol and bark at any taliban he found waiting to abush our soldiers.
IIRC, I think he was able to detect IEDs too.
Thanks for the post CJ.
@Hard Right: It’s amazing that the dogs can figure out who the bad guys are but there are still people in this country who can’t.
@another vet:
I’ve met many a dog with more common sense than a good number of people.
CJ
THIS IS A VERY GOOD POST,
AND Nan G SORRY TO HEAR THAT, YES THEY BREAK YOUR HEART
WHEN THEY LEAVE YOU.
I believe the animal who was with the warrior, need to be call a warrior too and allowed back to the free AMERICA, HE DESERVE IT, BY KEEPING HIS MASTER ALIVE AND SAVE HIS SPIRIT
WHILE THE HELL IS RAMPANT
WHERE THEY HAVE TO DESCEND INTO HELL, FOR TOO LONG A TIME, THAT IS WHY THE PTSD OR WHAT EVER YOU WANT TO CALL IT IS DESTROYING THE HUMAN PUSHED TO HIS LIMIT,
WHERE SOME HAVE EACH A DIFFERENT LIMIT OF BREAKING POINT AND HOW DEEP THEY CAN KEEP IT , BUT ALL ARE VULNERABLE, BECAUSE THEY ALL ARE HUMAN BEING, WITH A SOUL,
Marcus Luttrell (Lone Survivor) has spoken many times on how his yellow lab, given to him during rehab, gave so much to his own personal healing. Unfortunately, some punks who thought it would be cute to kill neighbors dogs, shot Marcus’ beloved dog.
Dogs are an important part of the healing for our war vets. They give much more than they get, and their love is unconditional.
Thank you, CJ, for sharing this. As someone who loves dogs, even the much-maligned pitbulls, seeing people who care for our four-legged friends, and sometimes go to extraordinary lengths to ensure their well-being, definitely brightens my day.
As an aside, regarding “charities” who supposedly “care” for our four-legged friends, I will give readily, anytime, to anything related to the ASPCA. And give nothing but scorn to HSUS, whose sole purpose isn’t the welfare of animals as much as it is the politics of extremist animal rights groups and furthering their agendas.
And the above isn’t a slight on the local Humane Societies around the country, of whom many do great work independently of HSUS itself. Many of those will only affiliate themselves with the ASPCA, who truly care about the animals involved.
J. G. My wife and I have 2 Golden sibblings. She says she’s more likely to look at a “head turning” Retriever than a good looking man.Silly part is I believe her.lol
Point is, she’s given to ASPCA, and a couple of Veteran rescue operations and our mailbox is now deluged with appeals. Can’t help everyone but it feels good to help where we can. Needless to say RR’s “trust but verify” is important in any giving to these heart tugging charities.
@Richard Wheeler:
Very true, Rich. And before my wife started working at our local humane shelter, I wouldn’t have given money to the ASPCA either, since my knowledge of charities like this was limited to the HSUS and how little money from the donations they receive they send on to actually help our furry critter friends.
Thank god she did start working there, as I know have a better understanding, and full appreciation and admiration for the ASPCA itself. The wife and I haven’t given a lot of money to them, but we’ve given what we can, when we can.
HSUS? I’d investigate and prosecute them for fraud, if I had my druthers.
Our two “mutts” are both shelter dogs, and we love them like family. More so, I guess, if you consider the money we spend on “treats” and toys for them.
@johngalt:
IIRC, HSUS got smacked upside the head by our Attorney General a while back for taking in donations and not giving anything out. Pure scum.
Richard Wheeler
now you will accuse her to look at her dogs more often than you,
and that she favor the dogs over you,
and if you ask her something, she might look at the dogs to get their approval first,
Never donate without a background check. I’m receiving tons of solicitations fro charities with Washington, D.C. Addresses. Why are these charities operating and collecting money in dc, an expensive place to live?
Also, I get tons of mail from organizations collecting for food. With 47% of the population receiving food stamps, there should be no need to collect for food.
Off topic. We could solve the obesity problem and curtail food stamp abuse by using the same standards for school lunches ( Michelle’s Obama’ pet issue) as we do for food stamp purchases. Let them eat tofu and hummus! This should be Michelle’s slogan.
Helene says 47% of the population is on food stamps and the equally brilliant “let them eat tofu and hummus.”
I’d say your “guerrilla war” is less effective than Carter’s grandsons.’
Should anyone here wonder why Romney is losing?
Semper Fi
Richard Wheeler
check again, MITT ROMNEY IS WINING, MORE AND MORE PEOPLE SEE TRUTH WHERE HE IS,
AND THEY SEE LIES AND DECEIT ON THE OTHER SIDE,
@Richard Wheeler: You premise is all wrong since Romney isn’t losing and the fact remains that 47% of Americans don’t pay federal income taxes.
CJ So what 47% of the people don’t pay Fed. income taxes. Think IRS should have been abolished long ago and replaced with a fair tax.Many working families making over 50k pay no Fed. taxes with large deductions including the mortgage.Many renters making under 35k do pay Fed taxes. Millions of Americans who pay Fed. taxes will be voting for BHO.
Point was 15 % not 47% of Americans are on food stamps. Bad enough,but they should not be ridiculed. Romney has been wildly backtracking from his taped statement,It could well cost him the election, Cabinet post for young Carter?
To think that Romney is currently winning, one would need to be living in an imaginary world.
Richard Wheeler
get use to it, MITT ROMNEY WILL FIX IT BY GETTING JOBS, AND THE PEOPLE WILL THANK HIM FOR IT,
HE KNOW THE REAL SOLUTION, OBAMA IS ONLY DOING BY TAKING YOUR MONEY AND PAY THE OTHER
WHO WILL VOTE FOR HIM,
THAT IS UNAMERICAN, AND UNFAIR,
THAT’S WHY MITT ROMNEY WILL WIN,
@Richard Wheeler: If the MSM polls oversampled Republicans by 7-10 points like they do the Dems and then saturated the public with those numbers day in and day out essentially telling them that the election is over and Obama won so there is no reason to vote, Romney would be “winning” too.
Under this president the rules for food stamps use we’re softened. Gas station now take independence cards for pizza etc. meanwhile, the schools ( in my area) are asking people to donate food for kids to eat on weekends because they are not being fed adequately at home. The snap program is advertised on television.
People are using these cards for fast food, ice cream, etc. and then running out of food and sending their kids to school hungry.we ‘re paying for breakfast, lunches and snacks at the schools.
In Florida, EBT cards can be used for bail and restaurant meals. What gives?
This is abuse of the goodwill of the taxpayer.