Dogs have done so much for us in the last 30,000 plus years.
This Friday, on Veteran’s Day, we have the opportunity to honor them for what they do, and have done, for our country and our service people, on and off the battlefield.
They are so well respected as soldiers, K9s are traditionally granted higher rank than their human handlers and serve as bomb detection, search and rescue, law enforcement, customs and protection officers. The rank is meant to remind handlers of their obligation to respect the dog and its contribution to the safety and effectiveness of their human counterparts.
The long, and colorful, history of dogs at war is described in 4 minutes in this short film produced by USAA.
It was not until 2015, that military dogs were finally allowed, by law, to be retired to their on-duty handlers. Let’s not go into what became of them before that.
The change in military guidelines came after numerous cases of soldiers resorting to smuggling the dogs that made their service lives bearable, out of war zones and personally raising the exorbitant costs of bringing them home safely to the US.
Some non-profit groups have now stepped in to help raise funds, and this special story, highlights a successful endeavor to rescue one dog, who helped soldiers retain their humanity in combat, along with her seven puppies!
On the heavier side, Glory Hounds is an informative and, sometimes, difficult documentary to watch. In 90 minutes, it goes deeper into the experience of the dogs in Afghanistan than anything else I’ve seen. Please be aware that It includes real-time scenes of combat.
It is a very sad statistic that, when it is time to come home, wounded soldiers with both physical and emotional damage, often suffer in silence. The Veteran’s Administration has concluded that 22 veterans commit suicide every day.
Dogs are now being used to fill the void that therapy and medication cannot always reach. The Society for Military Psychology cites research suggesting that 40% of veterans paired with a service dog are able to reduce the amount of medication needed to treat their symptoms.
Blade Anthony credits his dog, DeeDee, with saving his life. DeeDee came from a shelter via Pets for Vets.
As soon as they met, Blade wanted to fall asleep, which might seem like an odd response. But just imagine what it would feel like if you had not slept restfully for a very long time and suddenly your burden of pain was shared…and lifted…by love. Feeling safe, perhaps for the first time in years, sleep might be the greatest gift of all.
Many of the dogs used in these programs are shelter dogs, and what could make more sense? Saving some of the 7.6 million pets who end up in shelters each year, who then go on to enrich the lives of those who have sacrificed so much for our country.
Ending on a high note, I have to confess to spending hours watching the heartwarming videos of service people being welcomed home by their companion dogs.
You might enjoy this compilation, which has been viewed more than 45 million times!
This Friday, join us in appreciating all that our K9 warriors, and our pets, bring to our lives.