I support K9 Veteran's Day March 13

K-9 veterans day

Happy K9 Veteran's Day!

For Veteran's Day: Please Support the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act

Third time's the charm, right? I do think it's an appropriate Veteran's Day post, though, to ask my readers again (I wrote about it previously in March and in May) to support and spread the word on the Canine Members of the Armed Forces act.

(having not been to Guam myself, image of the war dog memorial is linked from the DobermansDen article on Doberman military service)

Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act

In March, I first posted asking for readers to support the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act (S. 2134).

Well, the wheels of the government indeed turn slowly. The ASPCA's Advocacy Center now has a form you can fill out in order to ask your senator to support the bill, which is a nice easy way to do it if you haven't done so yet.

Apparently, according to GovTrack.us there is also HR 4103 Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act, the summary of which reads:

Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act - Directs the Secretary of Defense (DOD) to classify military working dogs as canine members of the Armed Forces. Requires that such dogs no longer be classified as equipment. Provides that if a dog should be retired, and no suitable adoption is available at the military facility where the dog is located, the dog may transfered to the 341st Training Squadron or to another location for adoption. Authorizes the acceptance of the donation of frequent traveler miles to facilitate the adoption of a dog. Directs the Secretary to establish and maintain a system to provide for the lifetime veterinary care of retired, adopted dogs. Requires such care to meet standards that the Secretary shall establish and periodically update. Provides for coverage of veterinary costs. Directs the Secretary to create a decoration or other appropriate recognition to recognize dogs that are killed in action or perform an exceptionally meritorious or courageous act in service to the United States.

HR 4103 is a step further along than S 2134, in that it has been both Introduced and also referred to Committee. The GovTrack page also says that the bill has a 4% chance of passing, which is kind of discouraging. It also has 15 co-sponsors, both Democrats and Republicans, so that's hopeful. This seemed like an appropriate topic for Memorial Day. Military Working Dogs deserve to be remembered for their accomplishments and duties carried out.

Book Review: Soldier Dogs, by Maria Goodavage

I anticipated the publication of Soldier Dogs for a long time. Not only am I a working dog nerd (which yes, extends to military working dogs) but I also read Dogster.com daily, and Maria Goodavage is the news editor there. When I didn't win Dogster's giveaway for the book, I ordered it through the library to check out and looked forward to its arrival. I'm leaning towards buying it; I really did quite like it.

Update on Sgt. Rex

Looks like he's going home, folks!

With Cpl. Megan Leavey, which is what we were rooting for in my previous post.

(photo lifted from ABC article. I assume it's them)

Tuesday, in my blogroll, Philosopher Mouse came through with the news, and I just had to share it here as well. To recap, for my own edification, it looks like the Change.org petition got 6334 signatures (fewer than I'd hoped for). The petition on Senator Charles E. Schumer's site, though? 21,928! Pretty rocking. 

Articles here on the Wall Street Journal site, and here at ABC news.

Quoted from the Senator's site:

Corporal Megan Leavey and her military working dog, Sgt. Rex, served two tours of duty together in Iraq in some of the most dangerous conditions in the world. On a daily basis they searched for and identified roadside bombs and other improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were targeting our soldiers in Iraq. While millions of dog lovers across the country develop deep bonds with their 'best friends', the bond forged between Corporal Leavey and Sgt. Rex is one that few of us will ever know. That is why it was so important to me that they be reunited, particularly now that Sgt. Rex is ten years old and can no longer serve.

Thank you, those who signed. Thank you, as the Senator further says on his site, to all who shared and retweeted and all of that. Thanks to the Senator for making this an issue that he supported. Thanks to the Air Force for making this a go.

I'm not sure what the exact date Sgt. Rex will be in Cpl. Leavey's arms, but I'm sure she's counting the minutes. I know I would be!

March 13 is K9 Veteran's Day

So, apparently today is a Twofer Tuesday!

I just discovered on Loving for a Living that today is K9 Veteran's Day. Depending on the state, it isn't in full swing, or even fully official, but in light of my recent posts (about Sgt. Rex, and about the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act, for those of you keeping score at home), I figured I'd at the very least mention it!

(from k9veteransday.org)

Here's a helpful link to a petition, and also suggestions for letters that you can write, to get Congress to unilaterally acknowledge a day for K9 veterans.

Also in Sgt. Rex news, Senator Schumer has a petition his web site to bring Sgt. Rex to his forever home sooner and safer: http://schumer.senate.gov/Contact/sgtrex.cfm

Sgt. Rex, petition to bring him home

Yesterday, I posted about supporting the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act. Today, I'm posting about Sergeant Rex.

He's getting a lot of screen time. I learned about him first on Life with Arie. He's also on Philosopher Mouse of the Hedge, and Pippa Dog Blog.

(picture from petition page on change.org)

Sgt. Rex's story is one of the exact reasons I support the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act. He's a 10 year old German Shepherd who has more than earned his retirement. He has a person, Meagan Leavey, retired marine, who's completed the paper work to adopt him, who loves him and has worked with him, and was injured with him in Iraq. My very own Senator, Charles E. Schumer, has already written a letter to Michael B. Donley, secretary of the Airforce (the Air Force is who trains Military Working Dogs, at Lackland Air Force Base), supporting Sgt. Rex's "rotation to a civilian lifestyle" (my words. I don't know what the letter said).

Edited to add: This is the petition that Senator Charles E. Schumer has on his web site: http://schumer.senate.gov/Contact/sgtrex.cfm . I'd urge signing that one specifically, as the other one (on change.org) might not have as much weight.

Here is the petition, also to be sent to Michael B. Donley, that wants Sgt. Rex to go home with Cpl. Leavey: http://www.change.org/petitions/help-sgt-rex . Please sign it, and share the information. Every dog deserves a home!

Support S.2134 Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act

I saw this Act mentioned on Dogster, and also on a blog I happened across in the wake of the Crufts vet check "scandal" of 2012, Honest Dog.

See, I didn't know, not really, that dogs are stil considered "equipment" by the United States military. Never crossed my mind. Why would it? Dogs are alive. They aren't guns, they aren't boots. They're living creatures that people bond with and love. If a random Afghani street dog gets shipped back stateside, why wouldn't a military working dog like, say, Cairo?

(puppy Elka, with some Red, White, and Blue)

Military Working Dogs

I've mentioned before, I think, that I'm a nerd for working dogs.

I'm fascinated by dogs performing work duties, be it something they were bred for (Border Collies herding sheep), or something they were taught to do (Dobermans as Service Dogs).  A dog performing work that he or she loves is a beautiful thing to watch, and a good dog-human partnership is a well-oiled machine.

Military Working Dogs fall into this category, of course.  In fact, there are around 2, 300 dogs currently deployed by the U.S. Military to perform a number of tasks with our troops.