See if your dog or cat qualifies for the Operation Baghdad Pups Program
Operation Baghdad Pups began with an email received on September 11, 2007. The desperate words of the U.S. soldier serving in Iraq told of his desire to get the dog he and his regiment had befriended out of the Middle East before their tour of duty ended. Given it is against regulations for troops fighting a war to befriend an animal or transport one on a military flight, the likelihood of the determined soldiers succeeding in saving their dog seemed doubtful.
Members of this Army regiment discovered the dog earlier that summer while patrolling a dangerous neighborhood on the outskirts of Baghdad. The malnourished and flea covered puppy, no bigger then a baked potato, was scooped up by a soldier who felt sorry for the pitiful orphan. Hidden in a tattered blanket, the puppy was snuck onto the Coalition Outpost. As the soldiers took turns secretly caring for the puppy they had named Charlie, the strong bond between man and dog grew.
Taking care of Charlie gave me something to look forward to everyday,” one soldier explained. “When all the guys got to playing with him we forgot where we were, the horrible things we had seen, and what we still had to go through. Charlie definitely made our time in Iraq more bearable. He was like a welcomed piece of home right here in the midst of Baghdad.”
Abandoning Charlie in this war ravaged country, consumed in hatred and destruction, would have meant certain death for him. “We all made him a promise that we would not give up. We’d find a way somehow to get him to a better life in the states,” the soldier wrote in that first email.
How could SPCA International not intervene?
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Operation Baghdad Pups became the program of SPCA International that has now successfully gotten Charlie and other dogs befriended by our troops, out of Iraq. The logistics of moving animals from a war zone to a new home though are extremely complicated and expensive.
“SPCA International put a great deal of thought into the development of Operation Baghdad Pups,” says Terri Crisp, the program’s manager. “We did not just jump into this blindly. Our research clearly defined the enormous challenges, dangers, and costs involved. Yet, when you receive an email from a soldier pleading to save the dog or cat they want to give a permanent home to, how can you not make them a promise to help even though the odds are against succeeding.”
The diverse team behind Operation Baghdad Pups has beaten the odds repeatedly, but the challenges are still very much a reality that we are up against with each new mission we undertake. Within a month we heard from military personnel in Iraq and Afghanistan asking for assistance in getting a total of 35 companion animals out of these countries where traditionally dogs and cats have absolutely no worth. Each animal accepted into the Operation Baghdad Pups program must have a home in the states to go to prior to our agreeing to help. SPCA International carefully screens the soldier and makes sure they are aware of the potential challenges they and their families might face as the dog or cat they have befriended makes the adjustments of living in a real home and no longer in the middle of a war zone.
“Managing Operation Baghdad Pups has definitely been a unique experience, even though I have worked in the animal welfare movement for almost 25 years,” explains, Crisp. “Having the opportunity to not only save animals but bring comfort and peace of mind to our troops makes all the hard work so worthwhile. Now that all of us at SPCA International have spent time with the dogs we have helped, we are even more determined to save others. These creatures are truly magnificent. They are extremely smart, resilient, inquisitive, playful, and I believe grateful to no longer live in fear.”
Operation Baghdad Pups has a lot more work to do. We have pulled together an amazing team to logistically make it possible to move dogs and cats out of Iraq and Afghanistan. These missions are not inexpensive though. That is why we need YOUR help! Please join us, the team of individuals who are committed to saving more animals while saying, “Thank You!” to our troops for making it possible for us to remain free and safe. Your donation WILL make a difference!
An email we received from a soldier says it all, “I have sacrificed a lot to serve my country. All that I am asking in return is to be allowed to bring home the incredible dog that wandered into my life here in Iraq and prevented me from becoming terribly calloused towards life.”
Be a part of allowing these incredible bonds to continue!
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