Pets

patricia19 · July 29, 2021, 11:07:20 AM

That moment that you break through to a cat or kitten is a wonderful feeling!

so_P_bubble · July 30, 2021, 02:21:38 AM

Amy · August 23, 2021, 06:43:16 AM

Bubble, that is one cool cat!!!

Marilyne · September 01, 2021, 04:48:49 PM

I didn't know where to post this message, but its a dog story the needs to be told, so maybe this folder is the appropriate place.

Last night we saw on a local news channel, the sad story of the hundreds of American Military Service and Rescue dogs, that have been deliberately left behind in Afghanistan.
It was a shocking sight, to see rows and rows of dogs in crates/cages, in the Kabul airport, that were supposed to be flown to the US, before the last of our servicemen were evacuated. They weren't, and they won't be.

Apparently, the orders from our government were to leave them all behind!
These are dogs that we brought over and used to help and work for our soldiers, and that are trained, friendly dogs, who cannot survive the streets of Kabul. There are hundreds of other dogs left at the military bases, and many that have already been turned loose. Middle Easterners/Afghans, do not like or have pets, so they will not be taken in by the remaining families.

Some are already wandering the streets of Kabul, confused, hungry and scared. Those that were left in cages at the airport were to be put on the last plane to leave, but never were. Most of the dogs are German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers, and Border Collies. They showed a close-up of a Lab, looking out hopefully from inside his crate, and I just dissolved in tears. It was a tragic sight. Inexcusable.

RAMMEL · September 01, 2021, 05:13:20 PM

patricia19 · September 01, 2021, 06:41:56 PM

That story has been sent about by right-wing and conservative news and opinion pieces. Today, there was a follow-up story with the facts, telling that 50 dogs were from a company, Kabul Rescues, that had at times contracted some of the dogs to the US Military. They were not part of the US military services other than contractually at times.

A second piece lambasted the same company for rescuing all the staff and leaving the dogs behind. The company said the staff was its priority.

https://tinyurl.com/6446yt9v

Marilyne · September 01, 2021, 07:04:02 PM

Patricia, how do you know that the follow-up story contained "the facts", and that the story and pictures I saw were from a Right Wing group? Either side can say anything they want to, both giving proof. I believe the story I saw and heard. You believe whatever you want.

patricia19 · September 01, 2021, 07:33:05 PM

Because the corrected story has been all over the Internet detailing the misinformation from the earlier story, including who is posting it and the corrected version. It's on most of the newscasts.

If you Google it, there are stories on this corrected story posted both from the US and internationally.

I saw the corrected version first, but your post was the first of the misinformation I had seen.

Marilyne · September 01, 2021, 11:59:49 PM

There was a partial retraction story tonight, on the same San Francisco news channel that showed the dog story last night. Yes, there are a couple of hundred dogs left in cages at the Kabul airport, and others roaming around Kabul. The correction is that these dogs left behind, were supplied by American Contractors to the Military, so weren't actually US Army or Military dogs. However, they were trained the same way as the Military dogs, as far as bomb detection, rescue, etc., and they worked with our military doing the same things that the dogs belonging to the US Military did. So those were the dogs pictured in the crates, and on the streets. so yes, they were abandoned by the American contractors, not the Military.

What will become of them remains to be seen. The American Humane Society and SPCA are trying to help, but of as of Aug 31, no American planes are allowed to land in Kabul, so that would take a long time to resolve. However, a British rescue group is hoping to be allowed to fly in, and will take some of the dogs. Whatever happens, I hope it is soon. I assume the dogs in the airport in the crates are still there?

I won't be posting about this story anymore. I hope it resolves in favor of the dogs, but I don't really believe anything I see or hear on the news anymore, left or right, so we may never know the true facts.

MarsGal · September 02, 2021, 08:16:24 AM

Oh, that is sad. I watched a clip last night about a group of animal shelter people from Britain who were able to get some if not all of their animals out, but were worried about their Afghan staff members left behind. As far as I know, regular military dogs were transported back. Someone was really *itching about the dogs taking up space where they could have been transporting more people. That got my hackles up a bit (as with most of this fiasco of a withdrawal). Those dogs are treated as regular military members and are treated as such, including getting medals for heroic deeds. The dogs and handlers bond so much, that when the dogs are retired, former handlers will endeavor to adopt them. Even if the dogs are separated from them for years, they remember their handlers.

I didn't know there were non-military contract dogs there, but that makes sense. Plenty of rescue operations use dogs to find people trapped in rubble whether by bombing or by earthquake. I am guessing we will be seeing a lot of animal rescue stories up on YouTube soon. However, I do not have high hopes for the many animals left at the airport in cages. You are right, Afghans do not like dogs for some reason; I am not sure about cats. I suspect many will be left in the cages to starve or shot. The Afghan economy, not surprisingly, has tanked big-time, but beyond that, this article states that the Taliban ban Afghans from having pets, so there will be even more animals on the streets to starve or be shot/stoned for target practice.

https://people.com/politics/pentagon-says-military-dogs-not-left-behind-in-afghanistan/

so_P_bubble · April 22, 2022, 04:07:45 AM

https://www.tiktok.com/@chloetheserval/video/7088064261687119147?is_copy_url=1&is_from_webapp=v1

patricia19 · April 22, 2022, 01:19:40 PM

How interesting! On the one hand, I'm a cat lover, but on the other hand, most purchased wild servals are mated to carefully selected domestic cats to provide a designer cat from at least two generations down. These cats go for thousands while the shelters overflow with cats awaiting new homes.

so_P_bubble · June 18, 2022, 03:01:09 AM

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