El Kabong wrote:
> Stray Iraqi dogs flown to U.S. for adoption
>
> By Edith Honan Fri Jun 6, 6:02 PM ET
>
> NEW YORK (Reuters) - Ali****a Leitheiser has rescued animals since she
> was young, so the U.S. soldier's mother wasn't surprised to be
> picking up a stray dog from a U.S. air****t on Friday that her
> daughter befriended in Iraq.
>
>
> The black puppy with white legs and white spots -- named Iraqi by
> Leitheiser -- was one of 24 dogs flown from Baghdad to Newark
> International Air****t in New Jersey this week by the Society for the
> Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International.
>
> The dogs are set to be reunited with U.S. soldiers who adopted them.
>
> "I was glad she had someone over there to give her hugs and kisses
> when her mom couldn't," Leitheiser's mother, Melissa Moore, told
> re****ters at the air****t as Iraqi stood at her side, wagging his tail.
>
> Pets can play an invaluable role for U.S. soldiers in Iraq, helping
> reduce stress and promote emotional well-being -- even if interacting
> with stray animals is technically a violation of Army rules, the
> society said.
>
> According to U.S. military data released in May, newly diagnosed
> cases of post-traumatic stress disorder among U.S. troops sent to
> Iraq and Afghanistan surged 46.4 percent in 2007, bringing the
> five-year total to nearly 40,000.
>
> "While being over here, stress is dumped on each soldier every day,
> but when there is a piece of home somewhere nearby, it makes every
> day better," Leitheiser, a 20-year-old Army specialist from Felton,
> Pennsylvania, said in a statement. "Iraqi has been that piece of home
> for me."
>
> The project's director, Terri Crisp, said that since Operation
> Baghdad Pups began last year, about 100 soldiers have e-mailed the
> organization for help adopting dogs and cats they befriended in Iraq
> and Afghanistan.
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