Iraqi Military Pup on His Way Home

Ratchet, the Iraqi puppy caught up in the middle of an international embarrassment for the U.S. military, will be coming home to live with his guardian, U.S. Army Spc. Gwen Beberg, who rescued him from a burning trash pile while she was stationed in Iraq. The Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International has loaded the 6-month old puppy onto a flight to Kuwait, and he is expected to arrive in Minnesota later this week. Beberg will depart Iraq in November. This was SPCA International's third attempt to bring Ratchet to the U.S., as part of their Operation Baghdad Pups campaign. The Defense Department prohibits soldiers from adopting animals or transporting them back to the U.S. The puppy had been confiscated by the military during a previous attempt to transport him. The story spread on the internet, and over 60,000 people have signed an online petition to allow Ratchet to come home.

As U.S. Politics Guide Kathy Gill points out, the military may not want to transport animals internationally, but why did they interfere with a private non-profit organization's campaign to save this puppy? Hopefully, the negative publicity from this incident will make it easier in the future for soldiers to bring home their rescued animals.