I read some interesting articles in USA Today, today. There was one about Baghdad Pups, a program sponsored through www.ilovedogs.com the program helps soldiers who have ‘adopted’ strays from Baghdad get those dogs back to the sates with them. Now, it is against the rules to ‘adopt’ these dogs but you know what, sometimes an animal companion is just what someone needs to keep it together. And sometimes a bond just happens and you need to follow your heart. Baghdad Pups is a program that reunites soldiers with the strays that they ‘adopted’ in combat. This program is something that you can donate to if you would like to help a soldier make sure that no Buddy is left behind.

From the website:

Donations received for this program will be used in three ways:

1. To cover the costs associated with bringing companion animals, befriended by United States military while serving in the Middle East, to their new homes in the United States.

2. To cover transportation costs for companion animals belonging to active military personnel who need financial assistance for this purpose when they are transferred to another military base.

3. To further the mission of SPCA International to stop euthanizing adoptable and healthy animals. The outcomes of this program will be maintaining the human/animal bond and a reduction in surrendered animals.

Operation Baghdad Pups relies on generous donors like you. Thank you for your support of our troops by helping to bring their companion animals home to the United States. Your contribution makes SPCA International’s exhaustive efforts in this life-saving mission possible.

You can also purchase the book “44 Days Out of Kandahar” The story about Cinnamon, one of the first Baghdad pups.

This is much better news than what we had seen recently about soldiers and dogs in IRAQ. I bought a copy of the book to read to Eva someday.