Friday, February 20, 2004 �Leroy, Ugly, Scooby, Peanut, Flea, Ms. Kitty, and Gizmo are some of the pooches that have found friends among the U.S. servicemen and women stationed in Iraq. Strays wandering the streets of the capital city of Baghdad, befriended by the soldiers with kind words and food, are on thier way to the United States for a better life. In a country without animal welfare organizations, and where dogs aren't thought of as warm and fuzzy creatures, the strays had little chance of being helped until the American soldiers came to their aid.

"In most cases, the dogs started hanging around the base clusters and soldiers started taking care of them," said Captain William Sumner of the Baghdad Zoo, where the dogs are cared for before they get their traveling papers.

Since the soldiers aren't allowed to adopt the dogs themselves, the animals will find homes with their friends and families in America. Specialist May was one of the first soldiers to send his new buddy, Leroy, a German shepherd, back home. Leroy began hanging out with May at the fuel point he ran. Dusty, another dog who was taken in by some soldiers after she ran after their humvee that was patrolling an oil field, has also been sent to the U.S.

About 30 dogs have had their shots, been given check-ups, and been placed on planes for the trip to waiting families in states that include Tennessee, California, New York, Florida, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Virginia, and Georgia.

Since the military doesn't have the funding to send the dogs to the United States, the soldiers have to pay the way for the dogs themselves. Bonnie Buckley's Adopt-Homeless-Paws has helped the soldiers by providing dog crates and food, and by raising donations to fund the trip. Captain Sumner says, "Without her help, for which she has asked for nothing in return, we wouldn't have been nearly as successful."

Last month, Captain Sumner and Dr. Farah Murrani started the first Iraqi Society for Animal Welfare. Captain Sumner says, "The animals mean a lot to us and we hope to help them as well as the rest of the Iraqi population."

Photo: A U.S. soldier befriends two stray dogs while manning his check point in the center of Baghdad, Tuesday 03 June 2003. (© Norbert Schiller/AP Wide World/EPA)

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