Military Dogs Not Equipment, Says Retired Staff Sergeant 

Scott Raab, Outreach Coordinator 

 

Move America Forward has a special program to support the military war dogs and their handlers over in Afghanistan. We're so proud that this Soldier can be reunited with the 2 dogs he bonded with over in Afghanistan, but don't forget we still have hundreds of military dogs still over there, working with US troops.

Military Working Dogs are instrumental in sniffing out IEDs, bomb making materials, patrolling, or standing guard. It's as dangerous for these K9s as it is for our soldiers, especially in the harsh environment of Afghanistan. Our K9 care packages include special dog-goggles to protect their eyes from dust storms, booties to protect their paws from the rocks and hot ground, and finally some doggy treats to enjoy for a job well done.

You can help make the daily routine of our troops serving in Afghanistan a little better.

Nothing brings a serviceman or woman more joy than knowing that someone back home is thankful and thinking of them while they are on deployment. Care packages include a wonderful array of high quality food, snacks, and hygiene items that troops overseas consistently request. Click Here to Send One Today.

Now retired, Ryky the military dog heads to Washington to lobby for canine warriors by Kim Chatelaine Times-Picayune July 15 A couple of weeks ago, Army Staff Sgt. James Harrington was reunited with his partner, Ryky, a Belgian malinois bomb-sniffing military dog that he had parted ways with almost three years ago after the two served a couple of tours of duty together in Afghanistan and Iraq. Now, instead of detecting underground bombs in the desert, sometimes with bullets and shrapnel in the air, Ryky spends her time diving into Lake Pontchartrain from the Mandeville sea wall to retrieve a ball thrown by Harrington. Ryky, 8, is now officially retired from the military, her heroic and oftentimes hazardous duty behind her. But in the eyes of the military, she is categorized as "equipment" by the Department of Defense, a tag that limits rights and privileges for such dogs once they step down from service and makes adoption from the military more cumbersome. In 2012, Congress passed the Canine Members of the Armed Forces Act, which among other things established a system for the veterinary care of retired military working dogs. But removed from the legislation during its trip through the governmental process was a clause to reclassify military working dogs from equipment to canine members of the armed forces. Ryky, Harrington and five other retired military working dogs and their handlers will make the rounds in Washington to rally support for tweaking the law. "She's a retired veteran, not a piece of equipment," Harrington said of Ryky. The four-legged piece of equipment issued to Harrington over six years ago remains operational.