have Passport will travel

Sgt. Gwen Beberg, serving in Iraq, rescued a puppy from a burning pile of trash.

The problem is getting the puppy, Ratchet, into the U.S. due to rules prohibiting soldiers from adopting pets.

“I just want my puppy home,” Sgt. Gwen Beberg of Minneapolis wrote to her mother in an e-mail Sunday from Iraq, soon after she was separated from the dog following a transfer. “I miss my dog horribly.” Beberg, 28, is scheduled to return to the U.S. next month.

There have been exceptions thanks to the group Operation Baghdad Pups, they’ve gotten 50 dogs and six cats transferred to the U.S. in the last eight months.

Operation Baghdad Pups’ program coordinator, Terry Crisp, is scheduled to arrive in Baghdad on Wednesday. Crisp said the adopted dogs left behind face death on Iraqi streets.

She said Iraqis view dogs and cats as nuisances and carriers of disease, and U.S. soldiers have rescued many of them from abuse.

Let your bark be heard, help in “Operation Ratchet” by going to the petition site and putting your paw on paper to help bring this innocent puppy home.

The highlighted link never comes through, anyway here is the link, I hope it works. www.thepetitionsite.com/1/release-ratchet-from-iraq-now there is little box a the top of the page with more to the story.

Thanks so much for this link. There is NEVER enough love in the world !

There’s nothing better than starting the day with a happy update. Thanks Michelle for giving me a bark with a follow-up to yesterday’s posting, Have Passport, Will Travel.

All that petition signing paid off, Ratchet has been approved to come to the U.S. and is waiting for a flight to bring him to his new home.

Besides the thousands of petition signers, Ratchet had champions such as her local congressman, Democrat Keith Ellison, as well as both of her state’s senators, Democrat Amy Klobuchar and Republican Norm Coleman, all of whom wrote letters to the military asking them to review the case.

“Dogs like Ratchet bring comfort to our troops when deployed and sometimes become important members of the family,” Coleman said in a statement. “I am glad the Army listened to myself and others who pleaded Spc. Beberg’s case and have cleared Ratchet to come to his new home in Minnesota.”

Ratchet was cleared to leave the country but due to certain circumstances did not make his flight. He isn’t the first one to miss a flight, hopefully they didn’t lose his luggage. I’m sure he’ll be reunited with Sgt. Beberg soon, what a happy day that will be.

Please don’t forget about all the wonderful dogs that are already in the U.S. and looking for homes. October is American Humane’s Adopt-A-Dog Month and you can save thousands in airfare by going to your local shelter and adopting a dog that is already here. No passport needed.

Hi Mid,
This story is something else, I too am glad that this has a happy ending.