Zzarr, a Dutch shepherd, with K-9 handler U.S. Army Sgt. Nathan Arriaga (partly hidden), in 2011.
Photo via npr.org
Npr.org reports that, this week, a contingent of dog advocates went to Capitol Hill to talk to legislators about how the U.S. military treats its working dogs when their service has ended overseas. Last year, Congress passed a law making it possible to bring the dogs home, but the “Military Dogs Take the Hill” briefing argued that all of these dogs deserve to be transported back from the war zone:
“We’re suggesting today that an easy solution, so very easy, is just to mandate that the dogs are returned to U.S. soil before they’re retired,” said Robin Ganzert, president of the American Humane Association, which hosted Wednesday’s event. “And then, of course, these wonderful groups that we work with can work with the military to make sure the dogs are reunited.”
Other groups argued that the process of reuniting dogs with their handlers should be made easier and that the military should provide financial assistance for the dogs’ veterinary care.
As one person put it, these dogs are not pets; they are veterans and should be treated accordingly.