Marine Lance Corporal Nick Lacarra with his military working dog, Coot, on patrol in Afghanistan, 2012.
Photo by Corporal Reece Lodder via nationalreview.com
We try to stay away from politics here on the Dogs blog, but on the National Review website, there’s an excellent argument by Jonah Goldberg for why we should take care of retired military dogs.
It is one thing to ask these warriors to say goodbye to their dog when it is still on active duty and is assigned a new handler, which often happens. It is quite another to ask them to leave these dogs behind when the dogs are effectively abandoned overseas, left to languish in shelters — or worse. That’s why handlers are sometimes forced to make incredible sacrifices to get their four-legged comrades home on their own.
Goldberg mentions how legislation that would require the military to bring retired dogs home has languished in Congress for years. Perhaps we should do something about that. . .
We own a farm and depend highly on our livestock guardian dogs. When they become unable to function properly in their assigned tasks we take them in to our home and allow them the comfortable retirement they deserve. They are most deserving and they return the faithful favor.
The same should apply to the courageous canines our military utilizes. If a handler cannot or will not take care of a retired canine that four footed soldier should be offered a home here in the US by adoption.
“No Soldier Left Behind!”
Cheers!
Offer them up for adoption. They are well trained and would make great additions to any family. Retrain them as service dogs—so needed. Give them to the elderly who may be alone. Etc.
Please pull this posting down. It is incorrect. Dog handlers have been able to adopt their dogs since 2000. Dogs are not abandoned by the military, they are returned home. Please give this nasty rumor the slapdown that it deserves.