A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day....07-16-03....Every Day...."Fluffy...A Military Dog Story"

AP VIA News Observer; Dutchess; Billie | June 28, 2003 | Jay Cohen

[dutchess]

A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day

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A Few of FR's Finest....Every Day was introduced on June 24, 2002. It's only a small room in JimRob's house where we can get to know one another a little better; salute and support our military and our leaders; pray for those in need; and congratulate those deserving. We strive to keep our threads entertaining, fun, and pleasing to look at, and often have guest writers contribute an essay, or a profile of another FReeper.

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~ Billie, Mama_bear, dansangel, dutchess, Aquamarine

How precious we "creatures" great and small are. We have a special story to share today of a military pet and his owner. We hope you enjoy this as much as we did. God bless our military family.

"From scruffy to Fluffy, dog of war finds loving home in USA" AP via News Observer, June 28, 2003, Jay Cohen

FAYETTEVILLE, N.C. (AP) - They met in northern Iraq under the most trying ofcircumstances. Army Sgt. 1st Class Russell Joyce and his unit needed a guard dog. A scruffy, rail-thin German shepherd needed a home. Though most of the soldiers in the Special Forces unit thought the dog looked too frail, Joyce felt it deserved a chance. He fed it, trained it and, almost as a joke, named it Fluffy. Through it all, man and dog forged a commitment that lasted through war and government red tape, and all the way back to a reunion and a new home in North Carolina.

"What makes this dog so great is, look at the irony," Joyce said. "We took this dog from Iraq, we trained it and we used it for our own security."

Joyce got Fluffy out of necessity. His unit, 3rd Group, Special Forces, Alpha Company, 3rd Battalion, used a dog to ward off intruders when stationed in Afghanistan and wanted another in Iraq. In March, they asked Kurdish soldiers in the area to search the streets for a suitable stray.

The Kurds came back with a gaunt German shepherd with scars on his head and legs, and missing several teeth.

"When we got him he was pretty thin. He didn't have much pep in his step and he was pretty scared," Joyce said. "He literally didn't move for a day."

Because Joyce didn't have any dog food, he fed the dog mutton, chicken and rice out of his hand. He taught the dog basic commands like heel and sit, and how to walk as a sentry dog - stay on the left side and near the handler.

Within a couple of weeks, Joyce and his fellow soldiers noticed the dog was becoming agressive to outsiders. At one point, Fluffy chased a Kurdish soldier over a fence, tearing off his pants.

"It definitely looked after us," he said. "If any American went to walk guard, meaning walk patrol, he would go right to their left side and he would stand right by them."

Joyce and Fluffy worked together until he returned home from Iraq on May 10. But the dog wasn't allowed to go along because he hadn't come from the United States with the troops.

What's more, Fluffy would be euthanized unless Joyce could find him a good home in Iraq or some way to bring the dog back with him.

Fluffy stayed with the 506th Security Forces Squadron in Iraq while Joyce started his anxious campaign at Fort Bragg.

Joyce began with e-mails and calls to the State Department, U.S. War Dogs Association President Ron Aiello and Monty Moore, a former Vietnam dog handler who runs a Web page dedicated to war dogs.

"What I heard in his voice was something I had heard hundreds of times from former military handlers from the Vietnam era who talk about their canines to this day and the love and devotion we have for them," Aiello said. "Russell had that same emotion about Fluffy."

Aiello wrote Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld and set up a page in Fluffy's honor on his Web site.

Within days, Joyce had received over 1,500 e-mails inquiring about the situation. More than 32 U.S. senators also contacted him, asking what they could do to help.

By the time Joyce called Fluffy's caretakers in Iraq to tell them the machinery was in motion to bring the dog home, the Pentagon had already contacted the squadron to ask about Fluffy.

And the military found a way to gently bend its own guidelines to allow for Fluffy's transfer - it designated him an honorary working military dog with honorary war dog status.

Don Stump, an Army deputy division chief in Washington D.C., helped slice through the remaining red tape. Nearly 30 people in the military hierarchy had to sign off on the transfer and bring a successful end to what supporters called "Operation Free Fluffy."

"It stirred me up when I thought about the selfless action and courage of Fluffy," Stump said.

The Army footed the $274 to fly Fluffy to North Carolina, where Joyce was reunited with the German shepherd June 7.

The dog has won over his children, Sam, 12, and Elise, 6, and his wife, Caroline,

"He's doing great here," Joyce said. "He plays with my kids and he's not shown any aggressive behavior. We're working to deprogram him."

Caroline Joyce thought her husband was joking when he first broached the subject of bringing the dog home. Though she and the dog have become friends, it's clear who Fluffy loves most.

"The dog is fine with me but if my husband is around he doesn't want to have anything to do with me," Caroline Joyce said. "He just walks beside my husband and gazes at him all the time."

On a recent summer day, Fluffy circled nervously, whimpering while Joyce ducked into an office building. Once Joyce emerged from the side of a building, Fluffy leaped in the air.

"I see you," Joyce said with a grin as he moved closer to pet the dog on the head. "He really has a tough time because we were together the whole time when we were over there."

With Fluffy dutifully in tow, Joyce has no regrets.

"I don't label him as a pet," he said. "I label him as a buddy."

THIS WEEK'S THREADS 07-14-03...Military Monday 07-15-03..."Tagline Contest"

Opinions by our own 'King of Ping' The guy's good, folks!

Thanks, Mixer!

1) Click on the graphic to open the Calendar.
2) Once there you can click on any month and even click to the right to go into next year. Once you are in the month that you joined FR you will need to click on the number in the calendar and then an add item screen will come up.
3) In the next box enter your name in the "Calendar Text" field and then click on submit.
4) If any of the screens fail to load simply click on refresh in your browser and that will usually fix it.
5) If all else fails or simply if you want me to do this for you send me an FReepmail and I will gladly do it for you. ~Mixer

[Calpernia]

Leaving the finest for the evening. I'm still here (at FR) for a bit. I'm in an interesting research issue with Vietnam...A protest coming up with our chapter here...and interesting commentary from the new U.S. General.

So my so long was for the 'social aspects' of the evening :)

(yes, I'm weird :P )

[Billie]

Just voted for Bill B, but he's in 5th place right now.

2% Dale A., Weed, CA

14% Bill B., Round Rock, TX

18% Woody B., Hannibal, MO

19% Dave F., Dedham, MA

1% Dick I., Corvallis, OR

4% Rob M., Anaheim, CA

22% Rob R., Orange, CA

1% Kevin S., Encino, CA

16% Eugene V., Schenectady, NY

2% Steve W., Ponca City, OK

[SpookBrat]

What a wonderful story. Thanks for posting it. I'm a sucker for animal stories. I'm sorry I didn't get in here today to visit. Hooches and smugs...good night, y'all. Much love!

[Billie]

This may not open, but am saying goodnight. A note about tomorrow: Wear your Finest clothes - we're having a party - and the graphics should all open. :) Goodnight Hugs.

[g'nad]

won't be here tomorrow Miss Billie, till maybe late... have a great day!

[Billie]

Well, get your tux out. :)

(Or at least your cleanest dirty work clothes) :)

[Mama_Bear]

It opened for me....but then, they all have. So, I take it the problem still hasn't be straightened out?

A party tomorrow?! I may not be able to stay long, but I'll be there for a while (if I can locate my Finest party dress). :-)

Good night, Billie.

[Billie]

Dutchess still has the backgrounds for the Pet thread on my server - this morning Aqua said the Welcome graphic didn't open, and this evening Calpernia said it didn't. (but it did for her this morning) So it's still off and on - all the graphics I had on tomorrow's thread (I had been workin on this one for about a week - before I knew my storage had a problem) were on Domania - I moved them to AOL tonight.

'Night - I do have to go now. :)

[lonestar]

This is cute for those who love critters.

http://www.squirtsplace.com/miscfun/LittleBittyCutePets.swf

[knighthawk]

Hello!

We just got a heatwave over here. 91+ degrees. It's over for a day, but tomorrow it will be tropical again.

[Billie]

Morning, knighthawk - come join us today if you can. :)

Like a good love story? Come to Today. :)

[SierraWasp]

Hay! How's my favorite graphic artist and animator? I've missed our little te ta tea's. Thanks for the fine greeting and the feeling is mutual. Sure glad to see you and LadyX keeping this forum in line and on the path to decency for the good of our nation!!!

[SierraWasp]

Yup! Dial 1-800-BITE-GRAY!!! (grin)

[Dubya]

Nice to meet you Fluffy.