Posted on 07/24/2014 7:59:57 PM PDT by nickcarraway
It's dog days on Capitol Hill — or, more precisely, dogs have had their day there.
Five in particular — all war dog veterans. The canines joined their human advocates at a Capitol Hill briefing Wednesday, "Military Dogs Take the Hill," to spotlight an effort to require that all military working dogs be retired to the U.S.
Congress passed a law last year saying the military may bring back its working dogs to the U.S. to be reunited with their handlers, but it does not say they must be brought back.
Carlos, one of five war dog veterans at a Capitol Hill briefing Wednesday. And not one bark from any of them during a two-hour event.i Carlos, one of five war dog veterans at a Capitol Hill briefing Wednesday. And not one bark from any of them during a two-hour event.
David Welna/NPR "We're suggesting today that an easy solution, so very easy, is just to mandate that the dogs are returned to U.S. soil before they're retired," said Robin Ganzert, president of the American Humane Association, which hosted Wednesday's event. "And then, of course, these wonderful groups that we work with can work with the military to make sure the dogs are reunited."
Several House members were on hand to show their support. Nevada Democratic Rep. Dina Titus recalled the key role dogs played when she served as a state legislator.
"We always had a rule: If you wanted to get your bill passed, just show up with a dog. That always won people's hearts over, so I think we're in pretty good shape here," Titus said.
Three years ago, Ruby Ridpath learned from an Air Force captain in Kabul that Carlos, a yellow Lab who specialized in sniffing out explosives during five years in Iraq and Afghanistan, was being retired.
"And I said, 'Bring him home.' Three words, that's all it took: Bring him home," she says. Ridpath and her family adopted Carlos in 2011.
She considers him a vet, not a pet. And she thinks he deserves more help from the government he served.
"I'd like to see that there be some medical assistance, because for Carlos, I've spent almost $10,000 in medical costs for him. He's been worth every penny, but it's quite excessive at times," she says.
In this image from the June issue of National Geographic, Jose Armenta and his wife, Eliana, relax with their Boston terriers Oreo and Sassy, and Zenit, a German shepherd they adopted from the Marines. The Impact of War Civilian Life Taught This Military Dog Some New Tricks Marine Cpl. Daniel Cornier and his colleague, Chaak, in Afghanistan. "Pretty much trust him with my life," Cornier says. The Impact Of War Project Military Dogs Enjoy Brighter Future After Service A U.S. Army soldier with the 10th Special Forces Group and his military working dog jump off the ramp of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter from the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment during water training over the Gulf of Mexico as part of exercise Emerald Warrior 2011 on March 1, 2011. The Two-Way One Commando Had Four Legs; A Dog Reportedly Was Part Of Bin Laden Raid Others want to see more of an effort made to reunite war dogs with their handlers. Kristen Maurer heads Mission K9 Rescue, a group that helps handlers when they come back without their dogs.
"They all ask me the same thing. They say, 'Can you help me get my dog?' The words are not what strikes me. It's their tone of voice — almost a desperation," Maurer says.
One such handler is a Marine vet named Deano Miller, who was in Afghanistan four years ago with a yellow Lab named Thor.
"He'd never leave my side. He was never on leash. He was never in a kennel. He was always just — I didn't have to worry about that. He didn't leave me," Miller says.
But Miller had to leave Thor behind at the end of his tour. "So I had to wait 3 1/2 years for him, but I'd wait more if I had to. ... I was like, if he's 10 years [old] and has one leg, I'll still take him.
"And they used to think I'm joking, but I was serious," Miller says.
In May, the two were reunited. "Everything's a lot better now at home, and it wouldn't be possible if I wouldn't have him," Miller says.
Miller says his shadow has come back.
Ping
No. Veterans are human beings. Dogs are dogs.
and by that statement you show that a dumbass is still a dumbass
Dogs are dogs. Military dogs are properly trained property. Giving them anything more would mean (eventual) human rights to beasts. You know the libtards are itching to give “human” rights to chimps and dolphins.
A dog is a rat is a boy - according to you.
I speak FROM A Vets point of view.
I’d bet money the K-9s I’ve served with had a higher IQ point than you do.
Unless you’ve served...your words mean NOTHING.
Dogs are dogs, in this modern America we seem to be forgetting that even a highly prized, superbly trained animal, is still the animal he was before we trained him, we can treat it great like we always have our beloved dogs and cats, and horses, and elephants and other loyal beasts, we sometimes retire them and take care of them for life, but they are not humans, or another version of human.
There is no better retirement for a war dog, or police dog, than to become a ball chasing pet of the right human.
Calling the dogs veterans sounds like a sneaky way of denying them veterinary care. ?
You are the one comparing what a dog who does what a dog is trained to do with what a Veteran does. And you don’t see a problem with that.
This play on words is just not even talking about what is real with these dogs.
I spent a lot of years in the employee of uncle sam with a dog tied to my arm. There were a couple of times I know they saved my ass and several more when they kept me from harms way...
Use whatever words you like but the dogs saved lives and still do.
For that they have a very high value to those of us who are still alive because of them.
Active Duty/Retiree ping.
Yes, they are property, but animals have always (generally) been viewed differently than inert property under our system of law. You can hang your pillow on a clothesline and beat it with a metal rod all day long. Do that to your own dog or cat, and you'll be explaining yourself in front of a judge. Similarly, many state laws put the theft of a horse or livestock in a category more egregious than the theft of say a TV or canoe, even if they were of equivalent monetary value.
People may attach sentimental value to an object, but people form emotional bonds with animals. Similarly, most inert property can be had for the duration of its owner's life and passed on to posterity if adequately cared for. Animals, as property, are ephemeral and so when an emotional or sentimental attachment is formed, there is an added impetus to maximize the value of the attachment, knowing that the bond will sooner or later be dissolved by the death of the animal.
I love dogs. Military dogs should be treated kindly. They are not Veterans. The word Veteran has a very specific meaning. It refers to a HUMAN BEING how serves in his nation’s military. They are not dogs.
You sound like one of those professional veteran types who claims that anybody who hasn’t served in the military has no right to state their opinion. You aren’t helping vets or military dogs by insulting people, and yes, they’re dogs, not veterans.
To all the dogs left behind in ‘Nam...ping
I agree with this to a point. I don’t lose sight of the fact that they are dogs and not humans. In the old cavalry, men developed close relationships to their horses. But at the end of the day, they took them into battle where they were killed, but they also were often without forage or supplies, and their animals suffered. If one was injured, broke a leg, they’d put it out of its misery. We don’t do the same with a soldier.
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