Another case for Baghdad Pups!!!
If you have read some of my prior entries, you may have read about what is called Operation Baghdad Pups, which is run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals - International. Their latest quest is to rescue a dog named Ratchet who has been unofficially adopted by Army Stg. Gwen Begerg. Beberg and another soldier rescued the dog from behind some burning trash when it was a small puppy. Beberg fears that the dog will be killed because the Iraqis view dogs and cats as nuisances rather than as family member pets and will simply kill those that they deem as too much of a pest.
Terry Crisp, the program coordinator of Operation Baghdad Pups, (whom I have also written about) is heading to Iraq on Wednesday to try and facilitate the adoption and move of Ratchet to the U.S. to be with Beberg when she is released next month. There is strong support for this to happen, as 10,000 people have signed an online petition hoping to convince the U.S. Army to allow Gwen to adopt and bring Ratchet home with her. Official Army policy is that Defense Department rules prohibit soldiers in the U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq, from adopting pets. However, as a result of the efforts of Terry Crisp and Operation Baghdad pups, about 50 dogs and 8 cats have been transferred to the United States in the past eight months. For many soldiers, these animals bring them comfort and happiness and may be the closest thing to family that they have while deployed.
I wish Terry Crisp the best of luck and hopefully will be able to write about Gwen and Ratchet and their happy reunion right her in the U.S.!!!!
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