RSS

Tag Archives: United States

9.11.12 Remember, Honor, & Do Something About It

1992 from Liberty Island

In 1992, I was visiting New York City and took the Ferry in NY Harbor to Liberty Island.  My ‘longest’ girlfriend (she said at our age I am not allowed to call her my ‘oldest’ girlfriend) and I, had a stranger take a casual picture (with a real camera no less) of the two of us.  To the left of us, which is what I clipped here, were the Twin Towers at the World Trade Center in the Financial District. Twenty years ago, it was just another part of the New York City skyline.  Today, it is a symbol for the strength and resilience of the American people.

In America, we definitely have our own internal strife.  We had the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in 1995, where 168 people were murdered.  We have mass shootings for various strange reasons (last one was in a movie theater).  But the worst on American soil in my lifetime was the “9/11” attacks.  These were four coordinated terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda, an Islamist extremist group, that occurred on the morning of September 11, 2001 and killed 2,977 people.  

Here in the United States, we don’t live in a state of war or even a state of preparedness; we are very lucky for that.  I can not imagine living in Iraq, Afghanistan, Israel, or one of many African or Asian or Latin American nations, that are constantly under siege from each other, themselves, or even drug cartels.  What I do know is that the 11th of September 2001 shook me to the core and that I will never be the same again.

Dog Duty in Iraq

Make sure to think about your own country and your own place in the world. If everyone works for a solution to hate, maybe we will have war no more.

I know that I am a dreamer.  But remember the people and the dogs out there on the front lines everyday working to keep your borders safe from crazy people and your homeland secure.

If you are American than please join DogDaz in honoring our Military Working Dogs by writing your Congressperson and Representatives and ask them to AMEND HR 5314 to make it mandatory for all adopted OCONUS (overseas) Military Working Dogs (MWDs) to receive transport back to the U.S. via military air.  Retired MWDs have no “return to home station” benefits even though for the time of their service we proclaim them as “military members.” As it stands now, retired OCONUS MWDs must be transported at adoptive owner’s expense as a “pet.”  This policy is keeping people from giving these little heros lifetime homes. You can help MWD today!


Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
19 Comments

Posted by on September 11, 2012 in Dogs

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

7.4.12 Happy Independence Day: Keep Yourself & Pets Safe

Fireworks may be fun for some humans (not me), but they are surely not fun for the animals. In the United States, 4 July is when we celebrate our Independence as a country.  That is done with great fanfare and noise. My Grandmother was born on the 4th of July, so I used to think that when my mother’s brothers and sisters (all 9 of them) got together with all us kids (I have around 78 cousins) and shot off fireworks, it was for Gram’s birthday.  I always hated the loud noise.  Even today I have trouble with loud bursts (like balloons) or thunder.  It is not fear as much as some kind of ‘pain.’ I can’t really explain it but it feels like deep emotional or psychic pain to me.  I figure that is how the animals feel when they experience these loud, unexplainable sounds.  Ground fireworks are legal to purchase in Maryland, though people have sky ones too.  They started shooting them off about 2 weeks ago and won’t stop for another several weeks.  Squash E Bear would not leave the house for the whole month of July.  I used to have to push this big dog out the door to just go pee.  Sofie barks at the pops right now and Lulu and her come running if they are out and the ‘boom-booms’ start.  I hate this.  Please keep your animals safe and remember that turning on a radio or television in the room with your pet may help drowned out the noise.  For me, I like to watch them on TV where they look pretty but I can turn the sound down.

Here is a little article on helping your fearful dog: http://thebark.com/content/reducing-fear-your-dog#.T_JOd3hgggh

And I just wanted to say thank you to all the people and animals that serve my country and continue to keep my world safe as possible.  You are appreciated and always remembered.

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
13 Comments

Posted by on July 4, 2012 in Dogs

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,

5.28.12 Thank You To Our Military

On this, our American Memorial day, I wanted to honor the Military Working Dogs, and of course all the active service people and veterans that have protected me and my family and my nation for many years.  Especially remembering my Dad who served honorably in the Army during WWII, and took a bullet so that I could be free to be me.  Thank you very much.  You will never be forgotten.

Wikipedia File PhotoHave you ever thought about adopting a Military dog when they come home? http://www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com/

Just another DogDaz morning at the zoo ❤

 
8 Comments

Posted by on May 28, 2012 in Dogs

 

Tags: , , , , , , , , , ,