Help rescued animals of our soldiers! Sign the petition.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Army Spc. Gwen Beberg rescued a homeless puppy from a burning pile of trash while on active duty in Iraq last May, and named her new friend Ratchet. She says she couldn't have made it through her 13-month deployment without Ratchet. But Ratchet needed to be rescued a second time - this time from the United States military.

Please tell the military to let soldiers keep their pets»

The U.S. military has a set of regulations called General Order 1A (GO-1A), which prohibits conduct that compromises character and morale. Yet GO-1A includes a strict prohibition on soldiers keeping pets, even though soldiers' pets provide immeasurable comfort and clearly would enhance, not compromise, morale.

Because of these regulations, the military has a policy of confiscating and killing animals rescued by our troops in Iraq, rather than allowing those who have sacrificed so much to adopt and take home the animals that have seen them through the horrors of war.

Our troops and their pets should not suffer any more - urge the military to rescind GO-1A's prohibition on keeping pets»

Ratchet was lucky. Tens of thousands of citizens like you signed a petition urging clemency for him, and after several tries the wonderful people at the SPCA International's Operation Baghdad Pups were able to secure his release and fly him back to Minnesota so that he would be waiting for Spc. Beberg when she arrives home.

But many cats and dogs, and the brave service men and women who have rescued them, still need our help. Every one of us, no matter what our opinion of the current war is, can support our troops by asking the Department of Defense to immediately end their policy of confiscating and killing soldiers' rescued pets.

Please stand up for all of the other Ratchets still in Iraq: http://www.care2.com/go/z/e/Ab0sp/xfbV/Arhnr

Rebecca Young,
Care2 and ThePetitionSite Team

P.S. People like you made a real difference for Ratchet and Spc. Beberg. Please forward this email to your friends and family so we can help all of the animals rescued and adopted by our troops in Iraq!

P.P.S. Watch Ratchet's heartwarming homecoming here: http://www.startribune.com/video/32725779.html

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

Done! And thanks for bringing this to our attention!

[Leslie and Halas]

I signed it too. Ratchet's story is great.

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Thanks, Karen and Leslie. The goal is 10,000 signatures to stop the unecessary killing of an animal whose only crime is having fallen in love with an American soldier. Again, Thank You!

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

The case has cast a spotlight on Defense Department rules that prohibit soldiers in U.S. Central Command, which includes Iraq, from adopting pets or transporting them home.

Army Sgt. Gwen Beberg, 28, of Minneapolis, tried to send Ratchet home with the help of Operation Baghdad Pups earlier this month as she prepared to leave Iraq. But the dog was reportedly confiscated by a U.S. officer before it could reach the Baghdad International Airport, raising concern about the animal's fate.

U.S. military spokesman Lt. Cmdr. David Russell said in an e-mail that the dog was alive, but he could provide no other details or comment on the effort to take it to the U.S.

More than 30,000 people have signed an online petition urging the Army to let the puppy go home with Beberg, nearly tripling in a day as publicity over the case spread.

Beberg, who had been based south of Baghdad, has been transferred to a staging area to prepare for her departure from Iraq.

The coordinator for Operation Baghdad Pups — a rescue program run by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International — planned to travel to Baghdad on Wednesday to collect six dogs rescued by U.S. troops.

Terri Crisp is hopeful Ratchet will be one of them, but she has a substitute dog ready to go in his place if necessary.

"There's a lot of pressure being put on the military right now to allow Ratchet to leave," she said in a telephone interview.

Baghdad Pups has taken more than 50 dogs and cats home for their warrior owners, although the group had to cease its activities over the summer because of the heat.

Crisp said the U.S. military should cooperate with the group instead of obstructing the animals' transportation because it helps the troops deal with the stress of being in Iraq.

"These dogs and cats are incredibly therapeutic," she said. "With all the talk of post-traumatic stress disorder, this is a way they can deal with things — not only when they're in Iraq serving but when they're at home."

Last week, Beberg's congressman, Minnesota Democrat Keith Ellison, wrote to the Army urging it to review the case.

Beberg and another soldier rescued Ratchet from a burning pile of trash in May. But Defense Department rules prohibit U.S. troops who are deployed from caring for pets in theater or taking them home.

Sgt. Brooke Murphy, a military spokeswoman, said there were several reasons for the rule, including health issues and difficulties in caring for the animals.

"The military has these policies in place for a reason and really is looking out for the best interests of the soldier and the interests of the animal and the interests of the community," she said.

Baghdad Pups tried to collect Ratchet two weeks ago, but Crisp said a U.S. commander had intercepted a military convoy carrying the dog to Baghdad and sent it back to Beberg's former base.

Crisp said the group relies on donations to pay for the missions — Wednesday's will cost just less than $10,000 — but recently has had to ask the soldiers to contribute because of fundraising troubles.

[Jacquie Yorke (DRC)]

They have my John Hancock!

[Lynne Fowler-Oodles of Doodles]

Thanks Jacquie.

[Karen, Jasper and Jackdoodle]

"War Dogs"...OMG, it broke my heart. I own it, but I can't watch it again after the first time. That was the first thing I thought of when I read this discussion. This is truly a worthwhile petition!

[Karen & Lucy]

I signed the petition!!!!!!! What a great effort. Thank You

[Marcia Stevens]

My husband is in the military, and we have friends in Iraq that brought home 2 stray "desert" dogs from Iraq when their deployment was over.....So, I guess some dogs do make it....