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'Rex is my partner, I love him': The marine blown up with her dog in Afghanistan . . .
Daily Mail UK ^ | March 10, 2012 | Laura Pullman

Posted on 03/10/2012 9:15:37 AM PST by khelus

A woman who served in Iraq for more than three years is now fighting to adopt the German Shepherd who she survived a roadside bomb with.

As a dog handler for the military, Megan Leavey, 28, completed over 100 missions during two six-month tours in Iraq with the military service dog Rex.

And since being discharged from the military in December 2007 Leavey has campaigned to adopt the bomb-sniffing canine so he can enjoy a civilian life with her in Rockport, New York. ...

Recovered from his war injuries, the military considered Rex a valuable work dog and denied Leavey's early requests for adoption.

However, the German Shepherd, the oldest active service dog at Camp Pendleton, was recently diagnosed with facial palsy, a nerve paralysis which has left him unable to serve.

'As a safety precaution, they don't give all dogs away,' Leavey said. 'The dilemma with me is the minute they say he can't be adopted, because he's sick and because he can't work, they'd have to put him to sleep. . . .

(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...


TOPICS: Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: dog; doggieping; germanshepherd; marine
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To: Oldexpat

Absolutely!


21 posted on 03/10/2012 10:01:19 AM PST by Jane Austen (Boycott the Philadelphia Eagles!)
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To: Oldexpat

Absolutely!


22 posted on 03/10/2012 10:01:34 AM PST by Jane Austen (Boycott the Philadelphia Eagles!)
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To: khelus

More here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2857293/posts?page=1


23 posted on 03/10/2012 10:03:12 AM PST by khelus
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To: rabidralph

I’d like to see the break down of that $20,000.
I remember flying “space available” and sitting in a cargo bay.


24 posted on 03/10/2012 10:20:18 AM PST by Cold Heart
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If Mitt Romney offers to drive the dog back home, chase him out of town!


25 posted on 03/10/2012 10:44:06 AM PST by red flanker
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To: khelus

Why does it take 5 yrs? Just put the dog on a plane, deliver it to her & pay any medical bills for her & the dog.
Just do it. NOW!!


26 posted on 03/10/2012 11:38:54 AM PST by FES0844
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To: Cold Heart

LOL! Me too. I’m sure a lot of the cost is fuel and maybe some jerk bureaucrat threw that number out.


27 posted on 03/10/2012 11:45:12 AM PST by rabidralph
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To: khelus; All

1-800-827-1000

That is the Office of Veterans Affairs number.

Dear Lord, whatever you do, do NOT try to email them, it is a total and absolute mess. Shakes head, sleep tight your government is awake : |

May God bring Megan and Rex together again, and may He guide our course as well.
Tatt


28 posted on 03/10/2012 12:05:50 PM PST by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
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To: thesearethetimes...

Thanks


29 posted on 03/10/2012 12:14:22 PM PST by khelus
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To: khelus

My pleasure. Quite happy to bump a thread that needs to be seen.

May God bless.
Tatt


30 posted on 03/10/2012 1:22:24 PM PST by thesearethetimes... ("Courage, is fear that has said its prayers." Dorothy Bernard)
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>> And since being discharged from the military in December 2007 Leavey has campaigned to adopt the bomb-sniffing canine

Going on 5 years? What the Hell?

Good grief, give the Marine the GSD for God’s sake!


31 posted on 03/10/2012 1:30:23 PM PST by Gene Eric (Newt/Sarah 2012)
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To: Gene Eric; USMCWife6869; Indy Pendance; Still German Shepherd; dervish; Kozak; Joe 6-pack; ...
GERMAN SHEPHERD PING LIST

Flora Berkemeyer

This is a low-volume list………so don’t worry!

(Please Freep-mail me if you’d like to be on or off the list.)

32 posted on 03/10/2012 7:18:47 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: Gene Eric

“Good grief, give the Marine the GSD for God’s sake!”

Your government, hard at work.

Remember, conservatives, just because it’s “the military” doesn’t mean it’s any more efficient than the rest of the government machine.

They don’t use logic, they are sticklers for rules even when really irrelevent - by the letter, not the spirit.

I really don’t understand why a dog can’t just go with his handler, if he’s really no use any more. It’s not as if they can sell him (although they should be able to, but won’t get much for an old dog).


33 posted on 03/10/2012 7:29:53 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: rabidralph

And I’m surprised they don’t contact the myriad German-Euro-oriented breeders/trainers who bred & raised these dogs all over the country. I’m sure some of those people would take these dogs off their hands, if not the MIL handlers.


34 posted on 03/10/2012 7:31:57 PM PST by the OlLine Rebel (Common sense is an uncommon virtue./Technological progress cannot be legislated.)
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To: the OlLine Rebel

And this is a 10 year Shepherd which has obviously been out of service for some time.


35 posted on 03/10/2012 7:47:44 PM PST by Gene Eric (Newt/Sarah 2012)
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To: rabidralph
A couple years ago, a wounded dog was scheduled for retirement without repatriation to the US and people made a stink about it. The dog was brought back at a cost of about $20,000 or so to taxpayers. So it seems that it’s very expensive to get a dog out of the war zone and back to the states.

For that young lady who bravely served our country, and that fine looking German Shepherd who also served our country bravely, it seems like a small price to pay to say "thank you" to the both of them.

So I don't care if taxpayers don't want to pay for it, where do I send the check? I'll write it today, we OWE them. (And YES, I have the money to do it.)

36 posted on 03/11/2012 3:42:40 AM PDT by usconservative (When The Ballot Box No Longer Counts, The Ammunition Box Does. (What's In Your Ammo Box?))
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To: rabidralph

www.mvgsdr.org

Some members are former law enforcement, too.

We got our “Baby Girl” from them and without any specialized training, she alerts us when our youngest daughter is having a bedtime seizure.

I can’t say enough good things about this GSD rescue.


37 posted on 03/12/2012 8:16:04 AM PDT by LadyBuck (In the immortal words of Jean Paul Sartre, 'Au revoir, gopher')
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To: rabidralph

Lovely girl, looks great in uniform.


38 posted on 03/12/2012 8:22:32 AM PDT by nascarnation
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To: LadyBuck

Thanks for the link!


39 posted on 03/12/2012 3:22:51 PM PDT by rabidralph
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To: nascarnation

Yep. Looks like a squared-away Marine.


40 posted on 03/12/2012 3:24:44 PM PDT by rabidralph
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