awww i luv x3 dogs... mine's sittin on my lap right now... hahahahaha

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I HAVE A FEMALE GERMAN SHEPERD, I COULD ADOPT A MALE IF THEY GET ALONG

MARIA

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WAR DOGS SHOULD BE PROTECTED AND THEIR HANDLES SHOULD REFUSE TO COME BACK WITHOUT THEIR DOGS, THEY PROBABLE SAVED THEIR LIFES, THEY SHOULD BRING THEM BACK NO MATTER WHAT, HUMANE SOC., SHOULD INTERVENE AND DEMAND THAT THEY BRING THEM BACK,THEY CAN ALWAYS STAY WITH THEIR HANDLERS AT THEIR HOMES

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THEY DON'T REALLY EVEN CARE FOR THEIR SOLDIERS ,HOW CAN WE EXPECT THEM TO CARE FOR ANIMALS THAT QUITE MIRACOUSLY SAVED LIVES. THE MILITARY IS A COLD HEARTLESS BUNCH OF BUTTHOLES RAN BY AN EVEN BIGGER BUNCH OF BOTTHOLES. GOD BLESS THOSE ANIMALS & HOW DARE THEIR HANDLERS THAT SO COLDHEARTEDLY RAISED THOSE ANIMALS,TAUGHT THEM, PRETENDED TO LOVE THEM. SHAME ON THEM FOR NOT DEMANDING THOSE ANIMALS COME HOME & FIND LOVING HOMES.

---

I have been in touch with Lloyd. All of the below dogs were adopted out to homes within Kabul. These dogs are not at risk. These were not US Military dogs, they are de-mining dogs owned by a private NGO in Afghan.

---

This was just forwarded to me and evidences the unfortunate case of dogs being used by the military that are not technically military war dogs; therefore, there is no US government obligation to them. No finger pointing, just a very sad situation...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Any persons interested may contact me at:
LCarpenter1@hotmail.com or may call me at 0799 598 046
for details.

Regards,
Lloyd Carpenter
Project Manager
Weapons Removal and Abatement - Afghanistan
=====================
From: Joann Furse >
Date: 2007/02/23 Fri AM 09:13:13 CST
To: gsdrescue@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [GSDRescue] K9 26 GSDs and Malinois need urgent help


PERMISSION GIVEN TO CROSSPOST
HELP!!! If you read the posts below, you will hear
the story of how 26 German Shepherds and/or Malinois
are to be EUTHANIZED after 5 years' service of bomb
detection in Afghanistan. The dogs are owned by a
private contractor and obviously, there are no
parameters for preventing wanton misuse and abuse of
these dogs. He is most likely retiring them because
he will be getting more money to put new dogs in to
replace these.

At present, I have a friend working with a friend at
the GAP - Gifted Animal Program, to set up an angel
network to get these dogs out. The guy at GAP says he
can rehome all 26 dogs. However, the "contractor"
says it will cost $2,000 each to fly these dogs out of
Afghanistan.

So I am begging for anyone who has connections for:

Airline support
Media coverage
Political support

If anyone has access to any of the above related
resources, please please contact me immediately. It
isn't long until Saturday comes and these dogs' time
is up.

Thanks! Tess Stinson --- Please see below:

Please forward to DynCorp Programs in Afghanistan .

Any expatriates (only) wishing a FREE Mine Detecting
Dog may have one of 26 dogs available. These German
Shepherds and Belgian Malinois (Belgian Shepherd) are
approximately 6 years old, and at the end of their
working lives. These are pure-bred animals that have
spent nearly 5 years clearing mines and are highly
disciplined. They will ALL have a very high drive, and
love to chase a ball, their “reward” for finding a
mine.

Any person accepting one of these dogs must agree to
ship the dog to their home, or take it with them when
they leave Afghanistan . As I said, these are pure
bred animals. Keeping them here would create
competition with the breeding program in country.
Recipients will be personally responsible for shipping
and other costs associated with transporting the dog
home.

This is an opportunity to own an extremely well
trained dog that was valued last year at $12,000 each.
The harsh reality of the useful lifespan of a working
dog makes the dogs unsuitable for mine clearance this
year. Any animal not placed by this SATURDAY will be
euthanized in order to make kennel space for new dogs.

Any persons interested may contact me at:
LCarpenter1@hotmail.com or may call me at 0799 598 046
for details.

Regards,
Lloyd Carpenter
Project Manager
Weapons Removal and Abatement - Afghanistan

+93 (0) 799 598 042
***

---

To see adoption event photo and read a story and interview with Lloyd Carpenter about the dogs, go to:
http://network.bestfriends.org/dc/news/12719.html

---

Thanks for the update - I was just going to delete my previous post. Discovering the info contained therein was not accurate has both calmed and jangled my nerves. Calmed because the dogs are going to be OK thanks to Lloyd, and jangled because of the way this story was "altered" as it made it's way around. Lesson learned for a lot of people, I hope. : )

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Dear graywolf--
Thank you for taking the time to comment about the above story. Just to clarify, I spoke with Sgt. Gregg three separate times, for both Allan's story and for the one above, which is a follow-up piece to the story of Allan and how he found himself on the verge of being put down.

I also spoke with another public information officer at the base, who declined to give details about what happens to the dogs after they're retired, only speaking in generalities. She referred me to a PIO in Washington, D.C., who did not call back. This story focuses on Ft. Myer's MWD program because that's where Allan was housed.

We'll continue following MWDs and include other facets of the program in future stories. We very much appreciate your comments and the time you took to post them.
All the best,
Cathy

---

These dogs are veterans of war just as are the men and women who serve. They deserve the benefits of a safe return to American soil and retirement as they age and are no longer able to work. It's not that difficult. How many soldiers are alive thanks to these 4-footed heroes?

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This is so sad. What can we do to help?

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I could be mistaken, but I believe that when dogs who serve in paramilitary organizations (such as police and sheriff's departments) "retire," their handlers are given the option of adopting them. The difference between the military and paramilitary is that the soldier is apt to be deployed over and over again and such deployments with a dog, who is no longer able to "serve" for whatever reason, may not be possible.

There must be a way to preserve the lives of these fine creatures. Kinda like an Canine Veteran's program or home. Not all the dogs may be adoptable by civilian standards, but they certainly deserve to live out the rest of their lives in a loving, caring environment.

I don't suppose any of the powers that be at Best Friends have any ideas? Mr. Mountain?

BF has the guardian angel program. I sure wish the organization could fund and operate a Canine Veteran's Program.

---

This disgusts me to no end! Animals are not disposable. They are living, breathing, feeling creatures. Yet, our society has taught each generation that they are expendable. This has been going on for years. A lot of dogs are left behind after each war. Very sad. Almost makes one ashamed to be of the human species. Humans could only hope to be as loyal and loving as animals, yet we throw away like a piece of garbage.

---

This sounds all too familiar... I have a friend who was in Vietnam working very closely with his service dog. This dog wasn't just a dog, he was a dedicated member of the US Marines Corps, fighting right along side of his human service members. When my friend left Vietnam his treasured service dog, along with all others that he knew of - despite anything anyone could do to prevent it - was euthanized. To have discarded those dogs and now these dogs who's lives appear to sit on the roulette wheel, as if none of them made a contribution at all is unthinkable and unforgivable. Their dedication is greater than people can imagine and their devotion to the "mission" is genuine and as patriotic as Uncle Sam could ever wish for from any of his service members.

---

Sometimes, passing the word makes all the difference. The govern-
ment, the military, the police have all been under suspicion of cover-
ups for as long as they've existed. The military dogs have no Top
Level secrets they can reveal. The upkeep of these dogs and their handlers is paid by us, citizens and taxpayers. We have the right to
know the fate of each and every dog in military service. The fact that
one dog: Allan, was brought to the attention of one writer: Cathy Scott,
who simply exhibited her 1st Amendment rights to "speak" freely
about his plight, saved Allan.

How many calls were made to Sgt. Gregg? A lot. How many organiza-
tions were willing to save Allan's life? Plenty. This knowledge that there is a widespread ritual killing of military dogs after their service,
puts the onus on us. The limited circle of possible adoptees which
the military allows, will likely save a small percentage of these dogs.

So...we keep talking about it; we keep writing about it and expose it
as another atrocity of war. The more minds working on it, the more
letters and articles written about it to bring it to public awareness, the
more legislators contacted...well something has to change, doesn't
it?

---

graywolf1975,

I sent you a network e-mail responding to the one you sent me. Thx!

Cathy

---

Thank you for that informaiton, I really appreciate it. Sincerely graywolf1975

---

You are very welcome - and thank you and all others like you who care enough to make a difference for these amazing creatures.

---

Again, thank you for presenting this issue. Regardless of how many are adopted, if there are still dogs who are losing their lives after serving in the military, then we need to look into what to do to save those dogs. If they are dying because of medical/health issues, then that's one thing. If they are dying because there is no place for them to go, then that's another issue. I don't understand why these dogs are not allowed to go home with their handlers. Granted, some of them will be redeployed, but are all of them? I like the southerndogmom's ideas and will help in any way I can. These dogs are retired military and should be given the same consideration other retired military are.
dottie

---

What should we do now? Where would we start?

---

This is a shocking and sad revelation. It sounds as though Pres. Clinton was trying to help the situation but the legislature obviously has holes in it.

What can we do? Can a campaign be launched to try and change the way these dogs are treated when they come home?

Please keep us imformed!

---

This is just not right. There has to be something that can be done for these dogs. If a dog is still able to work, police departments all over the country should be notified and given a chance to take the dog. A "retirement" home would be a nice idea for the older/injured dogs to spend their remaining years comfortably.

---

After I posted in this thread yesterday I was pondering this last night because it really bothers me.

I imagine the sanctuary in Utah has limited resources and space. But wouldn't there be a way for Best Friends to help facililate some program in conjunction with law enforcement organizations in the U.S. and perhaps even veteran's groups to get something started? And not to stereotype, but I know many biker's organizations are involved with animal rights issues and support the service of our soldiers, regardless of their individual political beliefs.

Perhaps with a combined effort of Best Friends and other organizations across the country, someone could take the lead on developing a Canine Veteran's Protection Program to either have the dogs placed in loving homes of have them cared for at some sanctuary. The dogs could provide continued public service by interacting with two legged veterans in some capacity.

It's dangerous for me to type as I think so I'm just throwing ideas out there since I have no personal resources to actually make something happen.

---

We can't let this happen,.please let us know what we can do. Here these animals are doing things like saving lives and we leave them behind.
Unbelievable. I can't believe BFs won't look into this and let us know what to do to help I will be watching for any updates.

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I can't express my outrage and sadness with any more eloquence than the expressions that have gone before me. Thank-you Cathy Scott for shining the harsh light of reality on this subject. Looks like we have a growing "army" of caring souls looking for a way to help...sign me up!

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2. War Dogs life uncertain....Please look into all the facts and all the areas of Military working dogs before you paint such a grim picture. I have 2 adopted military working dogs at home from Lackland AFB. They are my best friends, and because of the careful consideration, evaluation of the military protocols put in place, the military is doing its very best to put the concerns for public safety, well being of the adoption program, and the well being of each dog trained first. Look into the Lackland AFB website, and contact Animal Planet regarding the programs they have ran regarding military working dogs of all areas; to include TSA or better know as Homeland Security. I think rescue work is important, but you need to think of dogs like people, not every one is born all cute and fuzzy, had that been the case then all people would be the same. Yes, you can still train old dogs; you can take a person out of work, but you can never take the work out of the person. Anybody can have dog or a cat, but how many keep up the required medical care for them? Do the research, dogs left behind isn't the case like it was years ago, those dogs were considered a potentially high risk for contagious diseases and most the dogs were remained active military working dogs overseas. MWD's are not just in Iraq, but every border, airport, and security risk area. On the domestic side of things, how many pit bulls are put down from fear or never got adopted? What is the statistic for rescued fighting dogs? Please, don't target something you don't show all the sides for. It sickens me to think that someone would post a comment, thinking that just because something is "military" there is some narrow minded decision process for the welfare of our 4 legged soldiers. Check out this link for more information. http://dodmwd.lackland.af.mil/news.htm

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As a retired law enforcement officer, and daughter of a military/law enforcement officer/ K-9 trainer and handler, I for one would be grateful to be considered to adopt a U.S. Service dog. It would be an honor to let him/her live out his life in comfort. I have top veterinary references , and understand the handling of these dogs as my Dad taught me well. Thanks for caring.

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Why cant there be a nice sanctuary for these dogs to go to when they retire? And if someone wants to adopt them, they can? And of course, all this SHOULD be paid for by the government.

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Thank you, Graywolf, for the link. It's makes me feel better to see that some of these dogs are available for adoption. And I agree, the potential adopters need to be screened and to understand these are highly trained dogs and not just a fuzzy playmates.

---

Cathy & all readers,

While it is important to look after the needs and interest of MWDs, the reason I am still continuing my pressing concern towards your article is because, the article has taken Allan, and made everyone feel that this is the fate of all dogs serving our nation and its borders. Every one of these MWDs are important, but every one is very unique and you must look at the whole picture or the depth of each dogs situation as the military adoption protocols do! You can not assume this statement..."As for the fate of service dogs once the war in Iraq winds down, their future is shaky at best" You have gone beyond Alan, and assumed there is no apdoption program for MWDs. No one is more compassionate than the vets and the handlers who care for these dogs during there time in service. It is most unfortunate that you were not guided to the Lackland AFB site. Its not just retraining, there are many issues and every dog is evaluated individually. With the continued loss of lives in the battle against terrorism, a story like this would by its very nature, be looked upon even more by all of us for the complete process of how we can do more to help; instead leading readers to feel nothing is currently being done. When in fact there is, or I wouldn't have 2 retired MWDs at my home now. My main concern for this article is that many people leave the end of this story thinking dogs serve, then get put down because they are not useful anymore. The following link is the story by Animal Planet to give you more background information regarding MWD's training. The second link describes briefly the adoption program already in place. Cathy if you look at the posting directly after you addressed me, you can understand my concern about the scope of this article. It is my deepest wish and hope that you can amend this article or complete a follow up with further information than what is being provided on your site at this time. I know you had the best intentions, but please I implore you to dig deeper. http://www.animalplanet.co.uk/k9bootcamp/heroes/index.shtml http://dodmwd.lackland.af.mil/news.htm

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Hi Graywolf1975,

I think the issues around MWD are very complex. I don’t think Cathy, Mary or I intended to imply that nothing is being done to try to improve things for these working animals. However, and this is a very big however, the reality remains there is no law in place that requires the military to bring service dogs home at then end of a war. There is also no law in place ensuring they will be cared for once they get back.

There is only a law providing the option for some of the animals to be adopted in certain situations.

Though this may be an improvement over historical times when virtually all military dogs were destroyed at the end of their deployment, the overwhelming consensus of the people I talk to is that much more can and should be done.

There is some concern, for example, that if the USA were to find themselves needing or wanting to rapidly pull out of another unpopular war (as we have done before), the military may make the same poor choices they have in the past with deployed working dogs. In past wars, they have simply destroyed the dogs without bringing them home. In some cases, they did even worse, and just left them behind. If it is the military's plan to NOT do this again, why not set clear law or policy around this issue?

Nothing I have been able to find in years of researching this tells me they cannot or will not do the same again. Additionally, there is the reality that more could be done by the military to place more of the MWDs that are coming home, rather than destroying them.

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With all due respect to the wonderful points being raised by everyone in this thread, I must wonder aloud if this very topic is why a lot of bomb sniffing dogs in the current conflict are local dogs. Could it be because the military doesn't want the responsibility for these dogs once the US pulls out since they're not technically US "property"? Or could it be that these dogs are being trained to assist the local army/police once they are 100% responsible for the security of their own country. I already know what the PR response would be, but I am curious to know the factual response. Thx!

---

"cattees"

Could you explain further in your reference to "Local Dogs"? I am unaware of any such use that I have found in my research. Earlier someone raise the comment that why aren't rescued dogs used instead of buying MWDs? Well, they are actually by Border Patrol and Custom's. In fact Popsicle was featured on animal planet. He was a rescued pit-bull puppy that was medically treated, raised, and trained to be an extremely successful MWD which has been since retired and adopted by one of his handlers. If anyone would like to read about his story go click onto this link. http://www.pitbullsontheweb.com/petbull/articles/popsicle.html

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Oh god this hits my heart. My great grandfather had a war dog and bless his furry heart saved many lives including my grandfathers. These war heroes deserve to be homed and free from all shelters. They serve and protect with no judgement and do all they can with all their might. Please stand up for the war dogs. I am.

Mary & Becker

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I agree with everyone else, we should get a law passed for the militaty dogs. To be able to come back to the U.S. and have a retirement home to go to. Maybe BF can put it together and we all call a hot line or something. Maybe collection of donations & have someone run a retirement place. I also think the gov. should let the right people be able to adopt these dogs also. Please keep us posted. Thanks for anything you can do for the dogs.

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Any law that would be past, could not be just black or white or cut and dry. There are situations beyond anyone's control that would bring more pain and harm to the welfare of the MWD then good. I am not saying that getting a law passed wouldn't be good, but you can never ensure 100% return of all dogs, because why prolong a dog who may have an advance stage of cancer that we would normally make the sound decision to allow the dog to rest in peace. I have worked and seen cancer in both humans and K-9s, as I am sure many of you have, it at most times, not a pretty sight to have to endure; and the prospect is and I stress usually not good. A retirement home would be great idea, but you would want to make sure it was a place you would want to be put into, because you have to put yourself in their paws. When you get older will you want to go to a retirement home? Again an adoption program is already in place here are some of the same links I posted earlier for all those who are interested in taking the same action as I have done twice. They are great dogs, and the adoption process is very informative for both you and your new MWD retired K-9. http://www.animalplanet.co.uk/k9bootcamp/heroes/index.shtml http://dodmwd.lackland.af.mil/news.htm

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This shouldn't evan be questioned!!!!!!!!!!!!! There should be a comfortable, safe, loving enviroment for all these dogs who have sacrificed their lives for us. They should not spend the rest of their days in kennels and cement floors. Where are the people with money, and land , and alternatives for these animals?

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Sign me up. I'll do whatever I can be help.

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Working with a rescue group, I am very aware of the number of dogs belonging to service men and women that are surredered to rescue groups because of deployment. We have taken in several of these dogs, and have been asked to take one this month. I thought this was insensitive and unfair of our government, to not make provisions for personal pets of the men and women who protect and serve our country. I had no idea, however, exactly how insensitive and unfair our government is when it comes to the dogs who protect and serve. This is outrageous treatment and our lawmakers should feel ashamed that this is occurring and is being covered up. I would be in favor of a law allowing these dogs to be assessed by a third (independent) party to assess the dog's adoptability and allowing approved rescue groups and individuals to have possession of the dogs deemed adoptable. Dogs with physical problems should be deemed adoptable if there is a rescue group or individual willing to provide treatment.

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Hey everyone,

I know this post isn't about a MWD, but it does pertain to a military dog and a good smaritan... and the crisis they both now face.

If you guys can rally for them, it would be greatly appreciated!

This link below takes you to the It's a Pittie forum in The Pit Stop community - the thread is Foster Needed for Military Pup.

http://network.bestfriends.org/MessageBoards/Forum.aspx?g=e2beef0b0c7749d3a9a5f23500584174&f=753

http://network.bestfriends.org/MessageBoards/TopicPopup.aspx?g=e2beef0b0c7749d3a9a5f23500584174&t=8978

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I took an intensive dog training course under a master trainer that was a dog handler in Vietnam. He was a steeled man that had trained hundreds of dogs, and had a very no-nonsense attitude with people but a real soft spot for their dogs. I have never seen a grown man more sincerely weep than when Anthony Jerone related the story about the day he was told he was going back to the States, and that he was not taking his trusted companion, the dog, that saved his life more times than he could count. This is an unbelievable practice the military choses to employ while there are so many compassionate alternatives available. There's a documentary War Dogs - the untold story that is really quite illumuniting: http://www.war-dogs.com/main.htm Not for the faint of heart.

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Please also read.

Allan's story-
http://network.bestfriends.org/westvirginia/news/10076.html

One soldier and his dog-
http://network.bestfriends.org/animalworldusa/news/5842.html

Important links-
http://network.bestfriends.org/tennessee/news/5461.html

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This seems like an issue that should be able to be resolved very easily. Whether the citizens of the US are for or against this war, I can't imagine anyone not wanting to support a program that gives these wonderful animals a happy and loving home after retirement. To reiterate what others have asked, what can we do? It seems that all we need is to start up a Canine Veterans Program, as southerdogmom suggested, and then publicize it. Volunteers and donations will surely flood in!

Next, we need to encourage more police departments and the the military to use rescued dogs for these jobs, rather than breeding more dogs and spending tens of thousands of tax dollars buying them from Germany!

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This is so sad. They serve our country, then after that they are tossed out like trash. But considering the Military mentality I am not surprised. If we could only save them all…….

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This is disgusting and a travesty, yet I am not suprised. The previous Congress voted to cut veteran's benefits drastically, (after voting themselves SEVEN pay raises for their TWO DAY work week) gutting an already ailing Vet. Admin. health care system and cutting benefits for prescription drugs. Recently a young veteran of Iraq took his own life, after he repeatedly visited the VA hospital stating he was suicidal and could not live with the images of his fellow soldiers' deaths, and the bloodshed that he saw. The VA said he was 26th on the wait list for psychiatric help, even after his parents accompanied him there and begged for help. He hung himself at his home. I am sorry to be off topic like this, but in my opinion the government is using up lives, human and canine, then tossing them aside like garbage. This is unconsionable. Sign me up for any movement to help the service dogs. What a waste, these dogs are clearly worth their weight in gold.

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Thank you for writing a story on these wonderful and loyal U.S. Service Dogs. Who would know? After I read this story I googled the dogs various ways and the only things that come up are warm and fuzzy stories and government information about the dogs. I had no idea this went on. It's sadder than sad and breaks my heart.

Count me in on any organization or effort that is made to solve this unbelievable situation.

I'll keep a watch for follow-up stories. Maybe other papers will pick this story up. Maybe Anderson Cooper should cover it on CNN so it gets a ton of visibiity. Certainly he would be interested.

Anyway, thank you again for educating us on this situation.

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Cathy - - - OUTSTANDING REPORTING ! ! ! Can you somehow see if this can be put on the front page of the BF web-site ? This deserves a place of note so that all can read and respond in a very positive way to our four legged military defenders - I hope that those of you out there reading this can somehow put together some type of help for the war dogs - - - hope BF can link up with Mike and his group - they are awesome ! Barb Davis

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Just thinking out loud here folks, but I wonder if the military foster organizations such as Operation Noble Foster or NetPetsFoster would be able to assist?

http://operationnoblefoster.org/

https://www.netpets.org/netp/foster.php

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This is shocking.

---

Objectification goes a long way. It's not a dog, it's an appliance. When it doesn't work anymore, you put it down.

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When we figure it out, sign me up. I love the southern dog moms idea of a Canine Veterans Program. I often wonder with the military and police dogs why they spend thousands of dollars buying these dogs from other countries when we have shelters and rescues full of good dogs. I know, I know these dogs are 'bred and trained' for this type of function, but has anyone else ever wondered that? Now if I could just get someone to donate me some land...;)

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Graywolf - as a veteran, please accept my apologies if any of my comments offended you.

I think it's safe to say that the people who have posted in this thread want only the best for the dogs themselves and are not judging "the military" as an institution. The mindset is is to try to do whatever can be done to save those capable of being saved. When I was in Germany at a remote site, K-9s were put down for a variety of reasons, very few of which bore any correlation to civilian standards. This was in the 80s and I know times have changed so I can't speak for the current fate of these animals and am just responding to the article posted by Best Friends.

We all want to help. It's as simple as that. I suspect you would not object to some nationwide civilian program designed to prolong the life of an otherwise healthy animal who had served his/her country proudly.

---

Cathy

Thank you for this article
Sign me up for anything that can be done.
My husband told me out the dogs in Viet Nam. We still are not doing the right thing.

---

I do understand the mindset is to give each serving soldier there due time after they have served our nation, especially our 4 legged soldiers. That is why I attached the web link to my first posting which will take you to the DoD Military Dog page, and on the tab marked adoption you will find the contact information, some of the adoptive MWD's, and you can even download the adoption packet. For all those that are interested, this site gives you some insight to what these amazing animals do, and why it is so important to pay attention to all the after care needs these dogs will demand. Too many times people adopt a dog because they think it would be a cool breed to have with out understanding all it's needs and life style. I say this from personal experience of adopting my own retired MWDs. The adoptable MWDs make wonderful pets, but you must understand their needs and be able to keep up the maintenance that these athletic dogs have. I encourage any one interested to go to the link I posted earlier and use the contact numbers provided to adopt one of these amazing dogs. The article above on this site falls very short of showing the whole story of life after the military for these dogs. Not once did it mention Lackland AFB adoption program, but merely drew a very narrow scope story from one phone interview, and little truth between the present and the past. That is what has really offended me. These dogs must go to the right people in order to keep the adoption program working in the dog's favor. Some of these dogs are all work and no non-sense, and some just want a belly rub, either one is a good pet if deemed adoptable after evaluation, and that you understand the dog's training background. I just don't want people thinking that the military is just dumping these soldiers in the dunes and not looking back, instead these dogs are coming home on the plane with their handlers happy and very healthy. I have been fortunate as a civilian to work around MWDs for many years, which sparked my interest in adopting the two I have now. Please read more than just this article, and I do encourage you to adopt them, as I have.

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What a prime example of our government's inability to understand the hearts and minds of the American public. This situation is completely unfair! These animals deserve better and my call to everyone reading this is to contact your government representatives and express your outrage at the current regulations. These animals have no voice - we MUST speak for them.

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Please check out this following site for critical information about adopting a K-9 veteran
http://www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com/tribute.html

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