Ratchet The Iraqi Puppy Is Saved And En Route To U.S.!

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by Michael dEstries October 20, 2008
Categories: Animals.

ratchet saved

A couple weeks ago, I told you about a U.S. soldier who had befriended an Iraqi puppy with the hopes of bringing it home and having it wait for her in America. The rescue organization Operation Baghdad Pups — which provides medical attention, clearance and transport for the animals U.S. soldiers have come to love during deployment in the Middle East — was ready to assist and get the dog, named Ratchet, home.

Unfortunately, the U.S. military has an inane policy against soldiers befriending animals and threatened to intervene and shoot the dog in the head as punishment. Thankfully, a great deal of media attention has been shed on this — and we’re happy to report that Ratchet is now en route to the U.S.! From the article,

An animal rescue group flew into Baghdad on Sunday and picked up the dog, which was adopted by Army Spc. Gwen Beberg, 28, of Minneapolis in a case that highlighted military rules barring troops from caring for pets while in Iraq.

Ratchet was loaded onto a charter flight, which took off Sunday night for Kuwait. He’s due in Minnesota later this week. It was the third try by Operation Baghdad Pups to get Ratchet out of the country on behalf of Beberg, who says she couldn’t have made it through her 13-month deployment without the affectionate mutt. She and another soldier rescued the puppy from a burning pile of trash in May.

Hooray! Congrats to Ratchet and Gwen! Our best to her unit and all those serving overseas.

Thanks to Erin for the tip!


Categories: Animals.

About Michael dEstries

Michael has been blogging since 2005 on issues such as sustainability, renewable energy, philanthropy, and healthy living. He regularly contributes to a slew of publications, as well as consulting with companies looking to make an impact using the web and social media. He lives in Ithaca, NY with his family on an apple farm.

View all posts by Michael dEstries →
  • Alexandra Margaras

    Thanks to a great organization, inocent lives can be saved and soldiers’ lives can be enriched. What a happy ending to this story! Alexandra Margaras, Chicago,IL

  • Wolfie Rankin

    That’s a great story, what a lovely and a very lucky dog.

  • VeggieTart

    Operation Baghdad Pups are true heroes here for intervening. I am glad they were able to save Ratchet and hope more non-human lives can be similarly saved. I also hope this spurs the military to abandon their cruel policy and do what it takes to ease the burden of service these men and women face.

  • http://BrainyBlonde.com e

    Welcome Michael ;)

    Always good to read some good news in the world ;-)

    and here’s a little update.

    http://www.startribune.com/local/31307514.html?elr=KArksLckD8EQDUoaEyqyP4O:DW3ckUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aU7EaDiaMDCiUT

    good to see NorthWest airlines picked up the last two legs of the flight for the dog ;)

    There’s still good people out there in the world (besides the ones here on ER :)

    E

  • http://www.greengrownandsexy.com thuy

    Thanks for posting this update Michael. I was wondering what happened to the dog. Happy endings are the best!

  • TJ

    There are still great organizations and companies that have big hearts when it comes to animals and their owners. Terri Crisp, Baghdad Pups, and Northwest Airlines are heroes here in making sure Ratchet comes home. I always fly Northwest Airlines when I fly to the Orient and they do take excellent care of their passengers and their safety. More kudos to Terri Crisp, Baghdad Pups, and Northwest Airlines for their big caring hearts. We need more of them in times of turmoil.

  • Army Brat

    I’m really not trying to play devil’s advocate, but I feel the need to explain something. My father is a commander in the military, and was recently sent to Kuwait. As part of his training, both he and his troops were instructed to NOT come into contact with ANY animals they encountered while in Kuwait. The reason they were given is because rabies and other communicable diseases were rampant in the animal population. They were especially warned against tick bites citing that they could easily become infected from the ticks alone. They were told that rabies can only be managed, once infected, and cannot be healed. They were so concerned about flea/tick bites, the Army instructed them that as a preventative measure, it would be advantageous for them to wear flea collars around each ankle, under their boots, to keep parasites from crawling up their legs.

    It hurts the soldiers to see animals suffering, and it is a natural tendency to want to befriend and help them. Trust me, my father has the biggest heart you’ve ever seen. But given the choice, he would rather come home safely, than be stricken with a debilitating disease while overseas. The soldiers have enough to deal with as it is, without needlessly endangering their lives further.

  • Pingback: Fallen Soldier’s Adopted Iraqi Pup Gets A New Life In The States // Archives // ecorazzi.com :: the latest in green gossip

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