DogALot News: Dogs Left Behind

A Badge of Courage For A Canine Duo

Related Video

With a welcoming wag of the tail, a friendly, licked greeting and an eager, ready to please look in their eye, dogs always make you feel wanted. I can’t think of any better therapy a person ask for after a hard days work- or several months in active combat.

As of December this year, two Labrador retriever, Budge and Boe, have been granted the rank of Sergeant First Class and deployed to Iraq. Their duty? To provide a sense of comfort and a sense of normalcy and, in the meantime, hopefully relieve certain stress issues associated with combat.

Their rank of Sergeant First Class was issued in order to help prevent possible abuse. Rank is a respected position recognized throughout the armed forces. To assult, or mistreat, a higher ranking officer would come with dire consequences and is something most soldiers would never think of attempting. However, it is simply a precaution for the well-being of these furry creatures.

Don’t think these guys are all fluff and play though. They had been in training for months before they were allowed to deploy. In addition to therapy training, they needed to become accustomed to battle field conditions.

Such conditioning included getting used to helicopter noise and wind, gun range training, where they became acclimated to the sounds of AK47 and handgun fire, and, finally, in order to adjust to chaos and crowds, they were run through a mall during the holiday season - a test even I would have failed.

Dogs have seen in battle since WWI, delivering messages, medicine and food. They have more recntly been used as rescue dogs, trackers, sentries, scouts, and, detectors – their noses are able to discern 17 different explosives.

These wonderful animals have been heroes but the have also paid the price. With the ability to smell enemy soldiers at a distance of 1000 yards away, sentry dogs have been a high price target for enemy snipers.

Animals have been used domestically in therapy for many reasons, from simply cheering up hospital patients to interacting with autistic children. It is hoped that these two therapy dogs will have receive the desired effect over seas.

Many soldiers in the field experience certain mental strains such as operational stress, homefront stress and sleeping issues. America’s VetDogs, an extension of the Guide Dog Foundation for the Blind, hopes that Man’s Best Friend will alleviate these condition and help soldiers relax through interaction with these two dogs.

This is not a far-fetched dream. Soldiers in Iraq have been befriending stray dogs throughout the past several years. Some have even gone so far as to make arrangements to have their new found friends shipped back home to the States. One of the more well-known stories is that of Nubs, a stray that traveled around 70 miles to find the Marine that he loved. Nubs was one of the lucky ones who has been sent ‘Home’ and now resides in San Francisco with his new family.

Click To Send Article To A Friend