Please post and distribute this as far and as widely as
possible:
A good friend of the Senior Dogs Project who is in the
military has been stationed in Mosul, Iraq, since last year. Soon after
being stationed there, his great love of dogs (and the dogs' recognition
of his feelings for them) led him to befriend a number of them who had
been displaced by the turmoil of the war. Despite the friendly nature of
the dogs and the fact that they were "strays" through no fault of their
own, the military commander ordered that the dogs be rounded up and shot.
A few of the dogs managed to evade the first round up,
among them "Blue," a German Shepherd who had clearly been a police dog,
but who is basically a lovebug. He waits quietly for our friend each
morning, sitting beside his truck, asking for nothing more than a bit of
attention and a few crumbs, and in return offering a wagging tail,
trusting eyes, and loyal companionship.
As of Monday, April 26, the commander in Mosul has
reinstituted the "round up and shoot" orders and has told our friend that
if Blue is still around on Friday, April 30, the commander will personally
shoot him. We realize that there are many terrible things going on in Iraq
and that innocent men, women, and children are dying. We don't understand
the point, however, of deliberately shooting an old dog who offers nothing
but comfort and affection to our beleaguered troops, asking nothing in
return.
If you can help in any way -- by contacting news media or
anyone you may know in the military -- please do so. We may not be able to
do anything to stop the horrific developments of the war in Iraq, but
perhaps we can save the life of a few old dogs and the faith in humanity
of a troop of soldiers. Please let us know if you are able to take any
action: [email protected] (www.srdogs.com)
Teri Goodman
Coordinator
The Senior Dogs Project
http://www.srdogs.com
Go on to A Dog's Soul
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