Military dog comes home from Iraq traumatized

[kpete]

Dog comes home from Iraq suffering what military suspects is PTSD, but is now on mend.

Gina was a playful 2-year-old German shepherd when she went to Iraq as a highly trained bomb-sniffing dog with the military, conducting door-to-door searches and witnessing all sorts of noisy explosions.

She returned home to Colorado cowering and fearful. When her handlers tried to take her into a building, she would stiffen her legs and resist. Once inside, she would tuck her tail beneath her body and slink along the floor. She would hide under furniture or in a corner to avoid people.

A military veterinarian diagnosed with her post-traumatic stress disorder — a condition that experts say can afflict dogs just like it does humans.

more:
http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0803/military-dog-home-iraq-traumatized/

[xchrom]

1. poor baby. nt

[sinkingfeeling]

2. I pray this poor dog, as well as all the others, never have to return to a 'battle field'.

[Evasporque]

3. Bachmann proposes 2 billion to treat Hero Dogs....

Building a canine treatment facility in her district, complete with spa, indoor tennis courts and waterpark.

[frylock]

4. that poor thing..

what a beautiful girl she is too.

[old mark]

5. I am just glad they are being brought here - many of the dogs that served in Vietnam

were killed there rather than bring them back to the US.

FWIW, there were dogs used by the Marines in WWII that were donated by families in the US - most were actually returned to their homes and families afte the war, after periods of re-socialising. Some were killed in combat, but they saved many human lives.

Link: USMC WWII Dogs site http://community-2.webtv.net/Hahn-50thAP-K9/K9History4/

Link - War Dog Memorial: http://www.vet.utk.edu/wardog/

Link: War Dog Support Group ; http://www.uswardogs.org/

The last site enables you to sent dervice dogs care packages and to adopt them when their service is over.



mark

[shireen]

8. +1

thanks for that info! Interesting!

[old mark]

9. I am going to post the link on the War Dog .org on the pets forum...nt

[Blue Owl]

6. Dogs would never stoop to the depravity of optional wars based on lies

And supposedly humans are more intelligent.

[Mad_Dem_X]

7. Poor doggie.

Hope she gets through this. :cry:

[femrap]

10. I fucking hate

this MIC...now they have to destroy dogs, too.

What a waste.

[Cleita]

11. Well they have feelings too.

Poor doggie. I hope those bad memories fade away and that they don't take her into combat any more.

[uponit7771]

12. Learn something new frequently....poor girl, I pray for her speedy recovery

[Contrary1]

13. Wait a minute! This dog is not being sent back to the war zone to be among those who "understand"

best what she is going through? Glad she is safe and on the mend, but I find it a bit disturbing that Gina is getting better treatment than her human counterparts.

Army says it's better to treat soldiers 'in theater'.

[Heidi]

14. I hope no one is even thinking of EVER sending her back to Iraq. (nt)