No Buddy Left Behind: Bringing U.S. Troops' Dogs and Cats Safely Home From the Combat Zone (23 page)

-CPT Kevin Connors

The space freed up by the death of a puppy named Misfit opened the possibility of rescue for a cat named Tom. I couldn't help but think of the old saying that when one door closes, another one opens. I wrote back to Kevin and began the process of getting Tom onto our list.

Shortly after replying to Kevin's e-mail with the news that we would try to help, I received a call from Stephanie Scroggs, our director of communications. Her relentless efforts to reach out to the media had just paid off.

"Terri, I had a call from the producers of Laura Ingraham's national radio talk show. Laura wants to interview you on her program." Stephanie's voice bubbled with excitement.

As the good news filtered through my brain, a light seemed to fill the darkness of the deep well that the morning had become.

"This is big, Stephanie; it's huge! Surely someone with the means to help us will be listening to Laura's program. Good work!"

"I think it would help to convey urgency if one of the soldiers whose dog is already home joins you on the show," Stephanie said.

"I agree." My mind was already going down the list of possibilities.

"Who would you suggest?" Stephanie asked.

"Andrew Bankey. We rescued his dog, Socks. Andrew is home for good now, unless he gets called up for reserves. The last time I phoned to see how Socks is doing, Andrew said he's been missing his unit. I bet he'd be more than happy to put in a good word for other soldiers in need of help."

After Stephanie hung up, I called Andrew. The embargo date was not far away, so there was no time to waste. It was a relief when he answered on the first try. When I explained what we needed him to do, Andrew agreed.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?" I asked. "A lot of people will hear this interview. I wouldn't want it to get back to the military and result in your getting into trouble."

"Hey, if I can help to get these thirty animals home, that's what matters right now," he said. "I doubt the military will get on my case, but if they do, I'll deal with it."

Immediately after listening to the broadcast, Stephanie sent a memo to the staff, board of directors, and volunteers who were closely following the ever-changing saga of Operation Baghdad Pups.

Tom and Francine in Iraq Kevin Connors

From: Stephanie Scroggs, Director of Communications

To: SPCA International Staff, Board Members, and Volunteers

May 14, 2008

Terri and SGT Andrew Bankey just ROCKED a nationwide interview on the Laura Ingraham radio show. The program is syndicated to over 230 stations nationwide. Terri mentioned our website at least three times, and Andrew was a pro. They nailed it. Now let's see what happens.

-Stephanie

I had to believe that because we were doing the right thing for these animals and soldiers, our work was destined to succeed. People were putting a lot of faith in me, and along with the responsibility of each new animal added to our list, I took on the weight of another human being and his or her family.

At the end of the day I received an e-mail response from an exultant Kevin Connors. He and his men were so excited, he said. They couldn't believe we had added Tom to our active list. Our news was the best thing that had happened to them since they'd arrived in Iraq. "There's just one thing I forgot to mention," Kevin wrote. "I also have a dog named Francine."

Once again the list grew.

Dusty-One of the dogs anxiously waiting for a ride to the USA Jean Mathers

ay 14, 2008, began at 5:15 a.m. with a logjam of e-mails, a lengthy to-do list, and follow-up calls. Twelve hours later I stepped away from my computer to play with Army Specialist Michael Payne's dog, Coke. He was the tenth dog that we had successfully rescued from Iraq and was one of the many that Bev and Barb fostered while waiting for the soldier to come home. When I tossed Coke's ball for the umpteenth time, my phone rang.

Stephanie had called me less than an hour earlier, so I was surprised to hear her voice again. She had been expressing concern that the looming embargo deadline of June 1 was approaching crisis level for all those involved. On this call, however, her voice jumped several points on the optimism scale.

"Terri," she bubbled, "I just got an e-mail from a man named `Dave Lusk.' He's one of the senior managers of global operations at FedEx. Listen to this ..."

Stephanie proceeded to read his message:

"Over the next two weeks, we will be repositioning some of our aircrafts, routing them from Dubai through Frankfurt and finally ending up at McGuire Air Force Base in New Jersey. The next departure is this coming Sunday. Since we are operating these flights from Dubai, would you be able to get the animals there? If you can, we'll fly them home at no charge."

As Stephanie continued to read, my eyes closed. There it wasthat voice inside-reassuring me the universe was ready to line up for something spectacular to occur. I touched the top of Coke's head and let go of the worry. It was time to get down to business.

After we hung up, I ran back into the house. Bursting with adrenaline, I returned to my computer and e-mailed Dave, while an exhausted Coke followed me indoors, curled up, and fell asleep. Asking Dave how he knew about our predicament, his reply came back, "Deborah Amos, a FedEx employee, heard you on the radio. She sent an e-mail to Lisa Daniel in the FedEx department that handles charitable requests. Everyone agreed; we want to do our part to support the men and women willing to go off to war. We've even given this project a name: `Operation Patriot Pets.' I will be your primary contact at FedEx and will do everything I can to get things rolling."

The one thing Dave asked in return was that we keep FedEx out of the spotlight. "The company does not ship dogs and cats," he wrote. "In this case, and this case only, we're making an exception. If word got out, we wouldn't be able to handle the anticipated bombardment of requests to ship other domestic animals. That's just never going to happen, so for now, we'd like to keep this operation quiet."

Once Dave laid out the rules, I had an even greater respect for the decision makers at FedEx. I wrote back to him, "What FedEx is doing is the kind of act that renews people's faith in the human race. Twenty-eight dogs and two cats will live because of your decision. For the anxious soldiers and contractors, this news could not be any better. I can't wait to tell them. I suspect you'll hear their hurrahs all the way from Iraq."

Morning could not come fast enough. I got up before dawn to write a group e-mail and pressed the "Send" button with a huge smile on my face. I wished I could be a fly on the wall as each of the anxious owners read the news.

From: Terri Crisp, SPCA International

To: Operation Baghdad Pups Owners

May 16, 2008

On Wednesday morning, Laura Ingraham invited me and SGT Andrew Bankey to be guests on her radio show. She gave me plenty of air time to explain the urgency of your animals' situation. After that, Andrew went to bat for all of you, explaining how important it is to get these dogs and cats back to the States . His dog, Socks, was one of the first we transported, so he was well qualified to speak. Laura's show was broadcast nationwide.

Now ... here's the GOOD NEWS. Are you ready?

Thanks to the show, a company that is willing and able to transport your animals offered to help. WE ARE FORMING A PLAN! There is still much to organize, and I'll need to stay in regular contact with you. Please stand by and keep checking your e-mails daily.

-Terri

As I typed, one soldier on our active list came to mind. In a combat zone where his life was under constant threat, you would think that this guy's biggest worry would be about going home severely wounded or in a body bag. But it wasn't. He said the hardest thing of all was worrying over how to get his dog out of there. Boy, did these animals matter.

The number of people working worldwide to pull off this mission was growing rapidly, and I was blown away by the level of commitment from each team member. Even so, I knew from experience that in the next few days seemingly insurmountable obstacles would raise their ugly heads to test that commitment. When faced with all the logistical and bureaucratic nightmares, it would be easy to forget who we were doing this for and how important it was to succeed against all odds.

I decided to send some photographs I'd received from the soldiers, along with excerpts from their e-mails. The poignancy of soldiers' words, combined with their buddies' appealing faces, worked like a double injection of motivation.

From: Terri Crisp, SPCA International

To: Dave Lusk (FedEx); John Wagner (Gryphon); Doug Crowe (SLG);

May 18, 2008

In case any members of your teams wonder why we are crazy enough to even attempt this mission, let them read the following passages, all excerpts from e-mails sent to me by owners of the dogs and cats we'll be transporting:

We are in Fallujah and have an orange tabby that has been part of our unit for the past two years. He's lived in our offices since he was a kitten. Burt has been passed down from each Marine expeditionary force that comes in. We are shutting this base down fairly soon, and I cannot leave him here by himself knowing he is used to living with us. He is a complete doll baby. He loves people, and he lies upside down in our arms, getting tummy scratches. Until recently, he had his sister with him. That was until KBR, the company hired by the military to euthanize stray cats, showed up. Our boy is safe for now because he lives with us where the "cat-napper" can't get him. My home in the States will provide Burt a safe place, and he'll be spoiled beyond belief. I just need to get him there. Please help us. He is one of the sweetest cats I have ever met; he deserves a good home and not to be left behind.