Rescued pups boost troop morale

Canadian Press via Sun Media ^ | 2007-12-24 | Tobi Cohen

[Clive]

FORWARD OPERATING BASE WILSON, Afghanistan - Abandoned in the village of Sangisar after a fierce firefight a month ago, two tiny puppies have found a safe haven with Canadian troops at this remote base in the volatile Zhari district.

Dubbed Mira - short for Miracle - after barely missing a landmine while riding with her rescuers in an armoured Nyala vehicle near the town of Howz-e-Madad, the spunky white she-pup is breathing new life into the Operational Mentoring Liaison Team's compound at Forward Operating Base Wilson.

"Everyone says I look after her but it's not just me. It's the whole team. Everyone gives her food and pets her. She sleeps with us. It's good for morale," Cpl. Marc-Andre Fournier said of the new addition to the team.

"It's super fun. It brings life... We don't think of the frustrations out there with the war. It's a bit like a release."

At the opposite end of the base where members of the Canadian battle group have set up shop, another tiny pup named Goulash has found a home with a group of infantrymen from Company B.

Named for the least favoured meal rations that generally become the puppy's dinner, Goulash was discovered by an Afghan National Army soldier in Sangisar.

A Canadian soldier had hoped to take the tiny puppy with him to Ma'sum Ghar, about 40 kilometres west of Kandahar City, where two Canadian soldiers and an Afghan interpreter had been killed after their light armoured vehicle hit an improvised explosive device.

Unable to do so, he turned the pup over to Cpls. Martin Lavigne and Mathieu Charest at FOB Wilson who keep him in a large cage outside their tent during the day and in their beds at night.

"When we got him he was much smaller than this," said Lavigne as he kissed the pup on the snout, assuring the animal had been thoroughly washed despite his scruffy appearance.

"He was tiny, premature. He wasn't in good shape," Charest added.

Charest, who often takes the pup out on operations in his light armoured vehicle - some of which may last as long as 14 hours - said Goulash always stays in his box and is quite well behaved.

"He's calm," said Lavigne, noting the harsh sounds of a war zone aren't likely to frighten the little beast.

"Afghan dogs are not like dogs back home that have had a good upbringing."

Both Mira and Goulash's caretakers are hopeful the soldiers that will replace them when their rotation ends in February will continue caring for the animals. If not, they will likely try to find a good family to adopt them as bringing them back to Canada isn't terribly practical or cost effective.

Not uncommon at a number of forward operating bases and police sub-stations, pet dogs, cats and even rabbits are helping make Canadian troops feel more at home.

[Clive]

Mira is helping boost morale for members
of the Operational Mentoring Liaison Team
at Forward Operating Base Wilson in the
volatile Zhari district.
THE CANADIAN PRESS/Tobi Cohen

[Clive]

The pup’s colour blends well withe the Canadian Forces CADPAT.

[Bahbah]

It’s apecial and amazing.

The spirit of Sprite. It’s just everywhere.

[proudofthesouth]

AWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

[SandRat]

Soldiers, dogs and kids a natural in any combination.

[capt. norm]

My wife uses one of those digital blood pressure measurement devices that's really easy to use, so we decided to test the theory that petting a cat or dog can lower one's blood pressure.

We tried it out on several friends on a number of occasions and it really does work....well except for one friend who is not a "pet kind of person".

If you get a chance, give it a try, or, better yet, next time you're uptight about something, spend some time petting your dog or cat and you'll see.

[doc1019]

Ok, enough of this. This is after all just a dog. Then again, right hansom dog, er, pup. Well after all it is Christmas and well, it is a small dog, after all. Sniff, sniff.

Love the photo!

Cheers on for the pup and even more cheers on for the troops that are taking care of her.

Merry Christmas to all involved.

[flowerplough]

Most Arab Muslims hate dogs, I believe, and this tells me just about all I need to know about 'em. ABC's Terry McCarthy attempts to describe Muslim dog-o-phobia thusly:

After pigs, which are explicitly forbidden to be eaten in the Koran, dogs are commonly regarded as the second most unclean animal in the Muslim world. Many of our local staff not only will not touch Fox. If one of us foreigners has been petting Fox then shakes their hand or touches them in any way they will feel unclean and will wash themselves before their next prayer session. Dogs are not taboo as such – there are many dogs living in the alleyways of Baghdad and most Middle Eastern cities. Nor do I see Iraqis being unduly cruel to dogs - but people keep their distance. Fox does rather better for himself – he gets above-average affection because he serves as vicarious dog-figure for all of us foreigners who have our own dogs at home.

What is interesting is why so many Muslims regard dogs as unclean. There is nothing negative about dogs in the Koran, which mentions dogs just five times. The first reference in the 7th sura is about a dog panting if you chase it away, the other four references are all in the 18th sura and refer to a dog stretched out at the mouth of a cave in front of righteous people as they sleep.

There is a hadith – one of the multitude of sayings attributed to the Prophet - that says an angel will not enter the same room as a dog. But Islamic scholars often debate the authenticity of various hadith, which do not have the same standing as the Koran. It is a hotly debated topic in online chat rooms - some people wonder if a blind man with a guide dog could be refused entry to a taxi driven by a religiously conservative driver. Some say that if a dog licks a plate it must be washed 3 times, once with dirt and twice with water, before can be called clean.

[flowerplough]

oops! Terry McCarthy

[maine-iac7]

I hope they keep the pups close = in kennel or on rope - NEVER let it get outside the wire =

Having a dog, for our troops, is indeed a bright spot of normalcy = the little unit my grandson is with had one - they called him Tank and loved him to pieces...but the barbarians got a hold of him and tortured him terribly. He just managed to crawl back to the troops. They did everything they could to save him - but had to shoot him.

This was devastating to them. They dare not have another one.

And now, when my grandson goes ‘out’, Tanks dog tags hang around his neck with his own.

[TASMANIANRED]

That’s a cute pup.

[unspun]

I sure wouldn’t wish life in a Muslim culture on a dog.

[skr]

How horrible. At least Tank had what many Iraqi dogs and dogs all over the world don’t, love and affection for a time. He might not have had that at all without the troops there.

[SatinDoll]

Dogs will roll in rotting flesh or excrement to hide their scent. Also dogs will eat excrement, like that of cats, because it is usually high in protein. This is per my veterinarian. In a place like the ME, where water can be a scarce commodity for bathing, avoiding dogs is required for hygeine.

[txhurl]

puppy ping

[maine-iac7]

The Sky Soldiers of the 173rd Airborne, BATTLE CO, are hunkered down on their tiny perch on the mountain side in one of the harshest winter climates on the globe.

They have issued a Christmas Greeting for their families and to The Soldiers' Angels Germany - back at their home base in Italy.

I can't post a thread - but you can read it here:

http://soldiersangelsgermany.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-message-from-afghanistan.html

They don't mention the conditions = bitter cold, no warm building to get into, no hot meals, no running water - just the little shelf they pick axed out of the mountain side at night, hoping to get enough rock piled up before daylight brought the inevitable bullets from the Taliban.

That became the routine when not out on patrol, like mountain goats -open to constant ambushes.

They have experienced the heaviest fighting - and losses - since the war began, with the stepped up activity from the Taliban oozing across the Paki border.

In the first 6 months, they were in some 450 firefights. NOT a typo. (You can see the video and the magazine article on the 173rds web site:

http://soldiersangelsgermany.blogspot.com/2007/12/christmas-message-from-afghanistan.html

They are giving a special tribute to their fallen brothers at zulu 1500 (3 pm EST) and asking the Angels to participate - telling them how.

We could do the same...a few minutes out of our safe and warm Christmas day.

Go to the link to read how.

[csvset]

Dogs and Troops ping

[Clive]

Here is your hyperlink:

Christmas Message from Afghanistan

Merry Christmas.

[maine-iac7]

Thank you!

[Chieftain]

This old Jarhead always found a 4 legged friend wherever I was stationed. They make every day better. I am happy for those Maple leaf troops and their K-9 buddies.