Military dogs traumatized by stress of war

[unhappycamper]

Gina, a highly trained bomb-sniffing dog with the U.S. military, joins Staff Sgt. Chris Kench on a sofa at the kennel at Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado Springs. Gina was a playful 2-year-old German shepherd when she went to Iraq, but months of door-to-door searches and noisy explosions left her cowering and fearful.


Military dogs traumatized by stress of war
By Dan Elliott - The Associated Press
Posted : Tuesday Aug 3, 2010 13:19:12 EDT

PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. — Gina was a playful 2-year-old German shepherd when she went to Iraq as a highly trained bomb-sniffing dog with the military, conducting door-to-door searches and witnessing all sorts of noisy explosions.

She returned home to Colorado cowering and fearful. When her handlers tried to take her into a building, she would stiffen her legs and resist. Once inside, she would tuck her tail beneath her body and slink along the floor. She would hide under furniture or in a corner to avoid people.

A military veterinarian diagnosed her with post-traumatic stress disorder — a condition that experts say can afflict dogs just like it does humans.

“She showed all the symptoms, and she had all the signs,” said Master Sgt. Eric Haynes, the kennel master at Peterson Air Force Base. “She was terrified of everybody, and it was obviously a condition that led her down that road.”

A year later, Gina is on the mend. Frequent walks among friendly people and a gradual reintroduction to the noises of military life have begun to overcome her fears, Haynes said.

[Voice for Peace]

1. this is heartbreaking.

and so wrong. war is so stupid.

[old mark]

2. Link here for US War Dog .Org site - help these dogs - you can send

working military dogs care packages and adopt one when he is ready to "retire"...and you can learn some of the history of their service to us - it is estimated dogs have saved at least 10,000 lives in the field, and they deserve a better fate than what many get - euthanization.

Link here: http://www.uswardogs.org/


Please look over the site and try not to be put off by the flags, etc - the cause is worthy and we can help the dogs.

Thanks.

rec.

mark

[whathehell]

4. Thanks for the link, Mark. n/t

[Duppers]

5. thank you. I'm bookmarking the site

for future adoption.

[old mark]

6. We did, too - there are stories of adopted dogs at the bottom of the page

that will make you cry...
especially when you read that most of the dogs that are not adopted are killed.

Thank you for helping.


mark

[old mark]

7. Kick.nt

[whathehell]

3. Poignant......The dog's expression

and the soldiers's downcast pose are a match of moods.



I don't think I've ever seen that expression on a dog.



I love dogs...I'm glad to read that these sweet creatures can be mended.