Stray Iraqi dogs flown to U.S. for adoption
By Edith Honan Fri Jun 6, 6:02 PM ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ali****a Leitheiser has rescued animals since she was
young, so the U.S. soldier's mother wasn't surprised to be picking up a
stray dog from a U.S. air****t on Friday that her daughter befriended in
Iraq.
The black puppy with white legs and white spots -- named Iraqi by
Leitheiser -- was one of 24 dogs flown from Baghdad to Newark
International
Air****t in New Jersey this week by the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty
to Animals International.
The dogs are set to be reunited with U.S. soldiers who adopted them.
"I was glad she had someone over there to give her hugs and kisses when
her
mom couldn't," Leitheiser's mother, Melissa Moore, told re****ters at the
air****t as Iraqi stood at her side, wagging his tail.
Pets can play an invaluable role for U.S. soldiers in Iraq, helping reduce
stress and promote emotional well-being -- even if interacting with stray
animals is technically a violation of Army rules, the society said.
According to U.S. military data released in May, newly diagnosed cases of
post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops sent to Iraq and
Afghanistan surged 46.4 percent in 2007, bringing the five-year total to
nearly 40,000.
"While being over here, stress is dumped on each soldier every day, but
when
there is a piece of home somewhere nearby, it makes every day better,"
Leitheiser, a 20-year-old Army specialist from Felton, Pennsylvania, said
in
a statement. "Iraqi has been that piece of home for me."
The project's director, Terri Crisp, said that since Operation Baghdad
Pups
began last year, about 100 soldiers have e-mailed the organization for
help
adopting dogs and cats they befriended in Iraq and Afghanistan.
--
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