Some Military Dogs Are Lovers - Not Fighters

[G_j]

http://www.care2.com/causes/animal-welfare/blog/some-military-dogs-are-lovers-not-fighters/

<snip>

Treo and his handler, Sgt Dave Heyhoe of New York served together for five years and supported troops in Afghanistan for six months. During their tour of duty, it was Treo’s job to sniff out explosive devices hidden on roadsides by the Taliban.

Sgt. Heyhoe said, “During the six months we spent in Helmand Province the challenge was unrelenting, but Treo did not waver from his duties for a second. He’s a true soldier friend.”

Treo received the Dickin Medal which is the highest award given to an animal for bravery in the line of duty. He is the 63rd military animal to receive the medal since it was introduced in 1943.

<snip>

Gunner is a yellow Lab who received similar training to Treo. In a story from The Wall Street Journal, he reportedly graduated from the bomb-dog school in Virginia with flying colors. He could sniff out all sorts of explosives that are used in combat and didn’t seem to mind the sounds of gunfire and war.

<snip>

Captain Michael Bellin, an Army veterinarian diagnosed Gunner with canine post-traumatic stress disorder.

Gunner was sent to Camp Leatherneck where bomb dogs go to recuperate from injuries or when they get sick. The Lab was assigned to Cpl. McCoy, a dog handler for the Marines. It was up to the corporal to get Gunner back to combat level or send him home.

The WSJ reported that the dog refused to leave his kennel area for the first few weeks. Now he dutifully practices maneuvers, but cowers at almost every sound he hears and runs to find Cpl. McCoy if he isn’t by his side. The corporal has even started to let Gunner sleep in his tent after particularly difficult days.

..more..

[northofdenali]

1. K&R - we have a couple of these dogs on Ft. Wainwright.

Returned from Iraq in September - their handlers are awesome. That said, the following photo is just because I've always found it funny (so did the snifferdog handlers)!

[gimama]

2. 4-legged, furry angels..

God bless 'em.
God bless us ALL, without exception.

Thank YOU for posting this.
BtW, there is a program where prison inmates
train pups to be Service dawgs for wounded Veterans,
especially HEALING in ptsd & TBI..
a win-win deal for lose-lose situations..

www.puppiesbehindbars.org
also:
www.pawsforpatriots.org

[Bigmack]

3. Couple of things....

if all the shit those dogs have been in gives them PTSD, what does it do to their handlers.. or for that matter, any soldier. You know, it sounds sadistic as hell to send a dog into a situation where it could be killed or injured or so badly traumatized that its worthless to itself or people. I guess some of us don't think it's sadistic to send soldiers and Marines into those same situations.

I think this policy of taking care of the dogs after combat is new. US military regulations required destruction or transfer of military working dogs in combat zones and only 200 Vietnam War dogs returned home to the US.

Anybody heard of any changes in that regulation?

[G_j]

5. It is

all around, & It's bad enough we do it, without dragging our best friends into it.
But they do their best.

[xchrom]

4. This should stop people dead in their tracks.

That a dog should suffer such a thing...

[troubledamerican]

6. Dogs are socialists

[G_j]

7. ==

[G_j]

8. **

last k