The Dog Days of August

It has come to my attention that the horse to hound ratio here is very much skewed in favor of the horses. I read an article today, though, that I had to share. It'll also start to help equalize the horse/hound balance.

Dogs are man's best friends (though I'd argue about equally for cats and horses, but that's me) and I can only imagine that for a soldier in the field, a dog is many things. He's probably part reminder of home and the simpler things in life, he's a valued companion who can make even a combat zone seem normal from time to time, and most of all, he's a link to the better angels of our nature.

There have been many stories across the country of soldiers who return and either smuggle back a dog with them or work to raise funds to bring their canine comrades over the US once they've returned. The story of Major Steven Hutchison and his darling puppy, Laia, is a little different. Major Hutchison was killed in action in Iraq while on patrol without Laia. As a tribute to Major Hutchison, a Sgt. Hunt from his unit secured approval to send Laia to the United States and worked with the U.S. Embassy in Iraq and SPCA International's Baghdad Pups to transport the dog back to America and place her in a home. The scrawny yellow puppy Major Hutchison rescued is now happily living in Michigan with the family of a special agent who worked with Hutchison's team in Iraq.

The full article from the LA Times is HERE (including a darling photo of Laia.) And more info about Baghdad Pups is HERE. It's so easy to take our beloved four legged friends for granted that seeing the good groups like Baghdad Pups can do reminds us of how much we all love our pets.