Troops leaving pets behind

Jennifer Knight

Tuesday, April 1, 2003 | 9:43 a.m.

In the aftermath of troop deployment, pets can be the smallest casualties of war.

The latest troop deployment from Nellis Air Force Base resulted in an estimated 15 animals relinquished by military personnel to the Lied Animal Shelter. And officials at Dewey Animal Shelter have noticed the number of stray animals being picked up from the base has also increased in recent months.

"Most of the animals we have (from military personnel) are from people who did give them up permanently because they weren't sure when they were going to return," said Diane Orgill, vice president of the Lied Animal Shelter.

"As far as some people turning them in because they are in the military, I'm sure it's been done," said D.J. Cogswell, manager of adoptions at Dewey Animal Care Center. "We are noticing that animal control is bringing in a lot of animals from the base. Apparently, someone is having animal control bring them from the base."

Luckily, the shelters are getting a little help from locals who want to help the troops by baby-sitting their pets until the war is over. And a national foster care group is doing its part to help solve the pet dilemma of Nevada's military families.

Lied Animal Shelter has already collected a list of 50 families willing to take care of the pets of deployed member of the military. So far, they haven't had any takers -- because, Orgill believes, many soldiers don't know that is an option.

But one man working from his home in Myrtle Beach, S.C., says he has already matched up to 30 pets with foster families in Nevada.

"I started this program as a patriotic gesture and secondarily to improve morale," said Steve Albin, president of NetPets.org, a veterinary referral service that doubles as the home base for the Military Pets FOSTER Project.

Albin said that during the Gulf War, people in the military who could not find homes for their pets were left with two alternatives: give the pet up for adoption permanently, or abandon the pet.

"I love pets and when I heard about what they did, I wound up in a situation where this was the only thing I could do to make a difference," Albin said.

Albin said he lost count of how many pets he has found homes for. He said receives about 55 e-mail requests a day, and his service has made a splash nationally. Many bases now include information about his pet foster program.

So far, officials at Nellis Air Force Base say, information about what to do with pets during deployment is not widely distributed to base personnel.

"Do we talk to troops about pets when they are deploying?" said Master Sgt. Richard Covington, a base spokesman. "Based on my experience, no."

Covington added that veterinarians on the base as well as family support personnel say that soldiers haven't reported that issue as a problem.

Still, locals are lined up to help military personnel in whatever way they can. Covington said the base has had a few people calling to offer to adopt pets.

One local reservist was even given one month of free rent by the Lied Animal Shelter because he was faced with either giving up his dog or spending money he didn't have to move.

Marvin and Lacie Peterson said when they were faced with giving away their pug terrier Morgan, the shelter pitched in and arranged for a new apartment and a host of other things to help make it easier to keep their dog.

"We just had a really hard time with having to give her up," Lacie Peterson said. "When they found out Marvin was in the military, they said they could do something."

She added, "There are still good people around."