Theodore's World: Marines reunited with Iraqi Puppies

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March 24, 2008

Marines reunited with Iraqi Puppies


Marine First Lt. Nathan Nielson plays with his dog Gus on Saturday at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas with society volunteer Diane Johnson, left, and Susan McBride of Animal House Pet Care. Gus is one of a litter of 7 puppies that were transported from Iraq to the society where they were housed and cared for, including medical attention, for about a month until their Marine owners returned from deployment in Iraq Saturday morning.



Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox plays with his 4-month-old Turkish sheepdog named Kirby on Saturday at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas. Kirby is one from a litter of 7 puppies that were transported from Iraq to the society where they were housed and cared for, including medical attention, for about a month until their Marine owners returned from deployment in Iraq on Saturday morning. Fox said the parents of the puppies were stray dogs hanging around their camp in Iraq and the Marines started feeding them. They then became camp watchdogs and when they had a litter of puppies the Marines adopted the puppies and sent them home to America.



Marines reunited with Iraqi puppies in Encinitas

North Country Times

A group of Marines are reunited with seven puppies they adopted while deployed in Iraq. The parents of the pups served as guard dogs for the Marines

VIDEO

ENCINITAS

When Marines in Border Transition Team 1/5/2 returned from deployment in Iraq on Saturday morning, something very special was waiting for them.

Seven Iraqi puppies, raised by the Marines, were reunited with their owners at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society in Encinitas.

The seven white puppies ran around on the grass, chewed treats (and sometimes leashes) and generally acted like puppies.

The petting and hugs were extra meaningful to the Marines, who, having been back in the U.S. for less than 12 hours, had been waiting weeks to be reunited with their dogs.

The story started at a combat outpost on the Syrian border, where the team was training Iraqi border police.

A female dog that visited the camp looking for food delivered a litter of eight puppies. After one starved to death, it was clear that the mother couldn't care for the puppies, and the Marines took charge of raising them.

The puppies are now just over 6 months old.

"Immediately after they were born, we knew we'd have to take them back to the states," said Marine Capt. Jamisen Fox, who is adopting Kirby and Princess from the litter. "Leaving them there wasn't an option."
"They definitely helped us out while we were out there," said 1st Lt. Nathan Nielson, who is going home with Gus, the puppy he says he was drawn to.
"I think we definitely had a chance to bond, especially under the circumstances," he said.

It wasn't an easy option. Included in the list of activities by a Marine Corps general order, just after possessing illegal drugs and destroying historical artifacts, is "Adopting as pets or mascots, caring for, or feeding any type of domestic or wild animal." Because of this, none of the resources of the armed services could be used in moving the puppies.

"I was starting to get the feeling we'd spent a whole lot of time and a whole lot of money and nothing would come from it," said Steve Ronk, founder of Operation Cookie Jar, who took charge of getting the puppies' passage booked.

Ronk said that because there are many wild dogs in the Middle East, they're seen as pests more often than pets, and the future looked bleak for the puppies when the Marines were sent home.

According to Ronk, to ensure their safety, Operation Cookie Jar and the Marines at the outpost arranged for a private security firm to drive the canines from the Syrian border into Baghdad, where they would fly to the U.S.

Once in the U.S., the American Legion cared for the puppies until they arrived at the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, where they were spayed or neutered, microchipped, tested for various health problems, vaccinated, and sent to their own "boot camp," where they learned basic obedience at no cost to the Marines who would adopt them.

"They don't get enough credit for what they do over there," said Jim Silveira, president and CEO of the Rancho Coastal Humane Society, adding that the happy, active puppies have been great fun to take care of. "The staff and the volunteers all love them ... they've been cute little guys to have around."


Wild Thing's comment........

I love this story, and that it has a happy ending makes my heart smile.

Posted by Wild Thing at March 24, 2008 02:48 AM

Comments

awww--sweet! Those doggies look really happy, too!

Posted by: Lynn at March 24, 2008 05:12 AM

I love critter stories with happy endings.

Posted by: TomR at March 24, 2008 02:08 PM

Another great human interest story the media never sees, thanks. It made the day for me.

Posted by: Jack at March 24, 2008 04:02 PM

Lynn, they sure do, it is such a feel good story.

Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2008 11:40 PM

Tom, me too, a story like this everyone wins, the dogs and the soldiers.Big smile.

Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2008 11:44 PM

Jack, yes, the media just can't stand to tell good things about our troops, positive things.

Posted by: Wild Thing at March 24, 2008 11:47 PM