The Virginian-Pilot
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NORFOLK
After many months, a lot of planning and a really long plane ride, Sako and her sailor will be reunited today.
Sako is a mutt adopted by Petty Officer 1st Class Joan Steates, a locally based Seabee, while Steates served in Iraq last year.
Thanks to Operation Baghdad Pups, a program of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International, sailor and dog will meet again today at Dulles International Airport outside Washington.
“There are a lot of stray dogs in Iraq,” said Stephanie Scroggs, director of communications for SPCA International. “Service members adopt them and really bond with them, and we help bring them back together.”
The program has rescued 75 animals from Iraq, and this will be its first mission of the year, Scroggs said. Sako will be accompanied by eight other animals on her flight.
They were to be picked up in Iraq over the weekend and were expected to have paws on the ground in the United States this afternoon.
“It’s a quick, quick turnaround,” Scroggs said. “Our rescue experts are on the ground for about 45 minutes.”
The effort is expensive, about $4,000 per animal, according to Scroggs, but worth it. The program is supported entirely through donations to the SPCA, she said.
“The dogs are so good for morale,” she said. “Just have something furry to hold and hug, to take your mind off things. One soldier told me he liked to ‘pet it out’ at the end of the day.”
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Bravo!
In some cases the bond between human and dog can bring moments of sanity in otherwise horrible conditions. Having a pet in times of stress has a calming effect. Having one with shared experiences could very well ease the transistion into civilian life for the soldier and is certainly good for the dog. Nice to have good news for a change. Don't forget to spay or neuter your pets.
Let's see, if I remember
Let's see, if I remember correctly with my time in the navy an animal was not issued to me or allowed to go aboard ship with me for deployments. If I was allowed to take my pet it would of made for a better time for me. These men and women are lonely and need something to call their own and if it is a stray dog, so be it. You do get attached to them and want the best for them. I'm glad that something good is coming out of this terrible war. Yes we do have animals in the US that need adopting, also. Who says that these men and women won't adopt a pet from SPCA. People get over yourselves.
If you "choose" to adopt overseas
Then you should pay the costs. End of story. Shelters whose kill rates are %50+ are right here in Hampton Roads, yet the SPCA can shell out over a quarter of a million to rescue 75 dogs... That is not anything approaching a good return on investment. That is folly, if you ran an organization like that, you would shortly be out of a job. It makes zero sense to help less than 100 animals half a world away, when you could potentially feed and shelter several thousand for months here for the same cost.
P.S. We adopted a stray
P.S. We adopted a stray kitten while we were stationed in Korea. He had to have all shots up to date, a military vet clearance, an airport inspections clearance on the Korean side, and a clearance on this side of the water, too. While he didn't need a quarantine, some animals go through that too in order to come into the country. He's 14 now and still going strong...and totally irreplaceable.
"The" Dog vs "A" Dog
I don't think any of our service members go to Iraq with the intention or plan of adopting a dog. When one of these situations occurs, it's not about "a" dog, it's about "the" dog, the love/bond they have for each other. It's not about just going to a shelter and adopting one to replace the one they bonded in Iraq. Are your friends so easily replaceable? Your children? Of course not!
I think this is a beautiful thing; not just for the lucky dog rescued from Iraq, but for the service member, too.
$4,000 per animal
Wow... Let me see that again... $4,000 per animal. Yup there it is and also "The program has rescued 75 animals from Iraq." For those of you a little short on basic math, that's $300,000.00 for 75 dogs. How many dogs and cats would that money have helped if spent wisely here in the states?? I can safely say THOUSANDS. What a waste of resources. And they wonder why they don't get help when they need it.
get over the $$
I'm all for animal adoptions -- I don't care what country they come from. It's a pity that we have AMERICANS right in our own neighborhoods who don't give a hoot about anything living other than their selfish selves. If people can't treat an animal with respect and love imagine what they must do with a child....maybe we should ship these people off into the battlefields!
You can not pick who your 4 legged friend is.
Yes, I agree, there are many strays and rescues here and in the USA as a whole.
However, for folks like me, my football & racing buddy picked me, trained me, and I in turn listened to my inner voice that said he is the one. Where he found me, is not as relevant as to that he found me.
Although the money could be used elsewhere, what is important is that the money was used to bring joy to both 2 legged and 4 legged alike.
I agree, there are plenty of
I agree, there are plenty of animals here that need to be adopted. I also would like to know what kind of checkups these dogs are given. From what I have heard there are cases of rabies over there. Are they bringing infected dogs into this country?
Seriously?
“There are a lot of stray dogs in Iraq." There are alot of stray dogs here, too. How about adopting one here instead. Sounds to me like another example of spending money abroad that can better spent right here.