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February 26, 2008
Update On Nubs, the Iraq war dog
Nubs, the Iraq war dog, arrives at his new home
from Leatherneck.com
Friends will care for mutt until Marine buddy returns
By Michael Stetz
SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
February 23, 2008
EARNIE GRAFTON / Union-Tribune
**** If you go to THIS LINK there is a wonderful video of Nubs on his arrival it is GREAT! ....it is just a tiny bit down the page from the top.
Marine Capt. Eric Sjoberg and his wife, Chrissy, greeted Nubs at Lindberg Field. They will be looking after the German shepherd/border collie mix for Maj. Brian Dennis.
Nubs wasted no time melting hearts. Big, tough Marines said things like, “Oooohhh,” and gently stroked his fur as they cradled him.
Reporters and camera crews swarmed around him. The German shepherd/border collie mix was sweet, gentle and a little on the scrawny side when he arrived at Lindbergh Field in San Diego yesterday evening. But he should gain a few pounds now that he'll be fed regularly.
Life in Iraq can be tough on a dog. Count Nubs among the luckiest. He got out thanks to a San Diego-based Marine, Maj. Brian Dennis, who befriended him and then had him flown home.
“It's amazing, he's finally home,” said Capt. Eric Sjoberg, who's going to care for Nubs with his wife Chrissy until Dennis, a Marine buddy, returns from Iraq in the spring.
Nubs licked Sjoberg's face. He panted patiently as cameras filmed and snapped pictures.
“You're seeing first-hand why the guys over there fell in love with him,” Sjoberg said.
Nubs is about 2. When young, his ears were slashed off because an Iraqi thought that would make him tough and alert. That's why Dennis named him Nubs. That's all he had left of his ears. And that was hardly Nubs' worst moment. Once, he was stabbed with a screwdriver. Dennis patched him up as best he could, but didn't think Nubs would make it. The wound was deep. He slept with him that night to keep him warm as temperatures dipped to 18 degrees.
Dennis fell for the dog hard. The e-mails he sent to friends spoke of his life in Iraq and they always seemed to mention this tough little dog, said Maj. Chris Collins, his roommate in San Diego.
“It seemed that something bad would always happen,” Collins said. “He'd get into a fight or something. Nubs was always in bad shape. ” Dennis, who is based at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station, is serving along the border between Iraq and Syria, where he is helping to train Iraqis. It's rough terrain. Nubs and other dogs lived in an old Iraqi fort and survived on food scraps. Nubs ran wild. He had no owner, no home, no collar, nobody to play fetch with, no one to bring a slipper to, no Alpo, nobody to scratch behind his ear. No name, even, until Dennis came along.
But even Dennis didn't think the relationship would last. He's in a war zone, after all. When Dennis and his team were ordered to move 70 miles away, he figured life with Nubs was over. It wasn't. Nubs somehow tracked the Marines to their new location, showing up two days after they did. Dennis was amazed. How'd he do it? He was convinced then that he couldn't leave this dog behind. He couldn't keep him in Iraq, of course. It's against the rules.
So he wrote home, saying he wanted to take Nubs back to the U.S. “We thought he was crazy. We didn't think it was possible,” Sjoberg said. Friends rallied, raising more than $3,500, and the wheels were put in motion. Yesterday, after a couple stops along the way, Nubs came home. And soon he'll be frolicking in the sands of a local dog beach, far away from the stark desert sands of Iraq.
Wild Thing's comment........
I am soooooo happy about this, Nubs arrived safely and will be taken good care off. Now I can hardly wait for Maj. Brian Dennis to get home to his pal Nubs.
Previous post about Nubs and Maj.Brian Dennis.
Posted by Wild Thing at February 26, 2008 01:48 AM
Comments
Nubs sould have a good life now.
Posted by: TomR at February 26, 2008 10:54 AM
It's good to see a follow up. So many times you hear about some human interest story and no one ever follows up on it.
This is a great eneding.
Posted by: Mark at February 26, 2008 12:24 PM
Outstanding!!! Wonderful story. Thanks Chrissie. "his ears were slashed off because an Iraqi thought that would make him tough and alert" Maybe so, my experience with the Muzzies is they purposefully mutilate cats and dogs because they are perfect free spirited creatures of God and they can't stand being second best. A broken tail, a gouged eye or an ear lopped off was the norm for Indonesian pets. Met one of our fur faced friends yesterday, an ancient black labrador, at the tire shop, he was as old as I am and just wanted some attention, after petting him he went to everyone, he was getting lots of attention when I left from all the customers, that made the day.
Posted by: Jack at February 26, 2008 02:52 PM
Tom yes, now he can get spoiled like our dog and kitty are...giggle.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 26, 2008 06:56 PM
Mark, I agree. Usually there is no follow up at all we got lucky this time.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 26, 2008 06:57 PM
Jack that is wonderful to hear about the black labrador.
What they did to Nubs had me crying so much. He will heal on the inside too once his good treatment is constant and he learns to trust.
Posted by: Wild Thing at February 26, 2008 06:59 PM
