Author: SPCAI Staff

Over the last few days you have heard about the successful rescue of Charlie’s dog Puppy from the Philippines, but Operation Baghdad Pups has been in full swing! In just the month of October, we have also been able to save 3 more dogs and one cat for Americans serving overseas.

We just wrapped up one of the toughest missions out of Iraq to date. With ISIS having essentially shut down travel throughout the country, we were able to move some very deserving animals out of Baghdad to the US, but it was not an easy task. If these animals could speak, they would have quite the story to tell…

Our Operation Baghdad Pups team has been hard at work rescuing animals befriended by Americans deployed around the world. In the last 24 hours, we were able to send a volunteer out to Camp Navarro in the Philippines not only to bring Puppy to safety, but a dog named Ranger befriended by a serviceman as well. While they are receiving some TLC by our partner organization in Manila before their big journey to their forever home in San Diego, we thought we would tell you about what we have been up to in Iraq this month.

In early October, in the planning stages of our mission to save 3 more animals belonging to deployed Americans, our regular security personnel in Baghdad informed us that they weren't able to transport the animals because of the impending ISIS threat. Gaining security clearance to travel the dangerous roads connecting Baghdad and Erbil has become harder and harder. After contacting over 30 embassies, helicopter schools and pilots, shipping and security companies, day and night for close to 2 weeks, we got the answer we were looking for. With only hours to spare before their transport, one of our volunteers braved dangerous checkpoints and a hostile city to meet our fearless driver in order to make the long journey by road to Erbil. Approximately 5 days later, 2 more amazing dogs and 1 beloved cat were united with their American families thanks to courageous volunteers on the ground.  All three animals were then safely escorted to the United States and are now enjoying their new lives on American soil with their loving families.

There is no greater reward than knowing these animals are safe, and we have provided an invaluable service to our brave service men and women. Our OBP Program has no boundaries. If you know of an American serving our country overseas that has opened their heart up to a dog or cat in the field and would like to bring them back to their family, please contact us at [email protected]

By Lori Kalef

It’s 1:09am, and I’ve checked my smart phone 6 times since I went to bed. I cannot sleep until I know that they are okay. I cannot sleep until I get the email that they are safe.

Rescuing animals across the world is not an easy task, especially when you’re dealing with language barriers, ever changing policies and war-zoned areas. I’m often on the phone in the middle of the night, speaking through Google translate or off on a plane to the unknown.

My friends tell me that I am so lucky to have a job that I am so passionate about. They tell me this when I am delirious from sleep deprivation, when I have been urinated on by a dog for the 4th time that day and even when I can’t make it to a best friend’s wedding because there are street dogs in Panama that need my help.
These are the friends who understand that I would rather miss out on important events because my special needs dog gets anxious when I’ve been away too long or that working every waking hour is actually not work, but love.

You don’t have to be crazy to love animals the way I do, but sometimes it helps because you know that another life (even just one) is completely dependent on you, and you will do anything to save that life.

They say that in rescuing animals you lose your mind but find your heart. I think I’ll go with the big heart and let the mind follow.

In May, our Operation Baghdad Pups program team was able to ensure some of the most heartfelt reunions – seventeen in all.  These dogs and cats that would have otherwise been left to a horrible fate in Iraq are now living it up in North America!

BARLEY (the 1st)
When we first heard about Barley, formerly Trust, from her caretaker in Baghdad, she was hiding from the hot sun in an abandoned villa looking after her 3rd set of puppies. Always making sure they ate first, the kind hand who risked her life feeding them daily described Barley as fearful, but gentle, almost knowing that at any moment her life could be taken from her by an unkind Iraqi.

These days Barley can be seen camping on weekends and enjoying rides in a motorboat on the west coast, but don’t worry she still gets plenty of sun!

FRED
Fred stole our hearts the moment we met him. Shot in the foot as a cruel prank, a dog who should otherwise be aggressive towards humans exhibited such love. He even let us take him back to our hotel room to look after his wound round the clock. Fred is now living a wonderful life in Texas without any threat with his family who anxiously awaited his arrival for months. He even has a new brother named Moby!

GEORGE
George was an immediate hero to his beloved American while stationed in Baghdad. Life is very restricted and days are monotonous in Iraq, so when George found his way into the heart of our friend, Guy, their two lives were immediately changed forever. From living together in a tiny room in a compound to a life of freedom and endless yard in Virginia, George sure found a happy ending and perfect life!

TABOGA
Who could ever forget sweet little Taboga? As a tiny pup Taboga lost his mom, but found his “forever dad” while roaming around the dangerous streets of Baghdad. Taboga, our littlest arrival was quick to adjust to life in America with a family to love him and a comfortable couch too!

LANI
A life for a street cat in Iraq is very short. If they aren’t prey to the packs of dogs, they are abused by locals and often killed by the Iraqi Army. Lani must have had extra keen street smarts to make her way to safety and into the arms of Mikkel in Iraq.  Now Lani gets to live the life every cat deserves…when she isn’t sleeping!

BISCUIT
Rodney was not intending to meet the dog that would later become his son’s best friend when he was doing his rounds that day in Baghdad. But with a greeting like this, who could refuse? Sweet Biscuit made her way to the U.S. through every staff member’s heart on her journey home. When we recently checked in with Rodney, his response said it all, “Biscuit is loving life! She is enjoying her new Texas home with 20 acres to run around on and "learning the ropes" from my other two dogs. All my thanks to everyone at SPCAI who helped me, help her!”

CHARLIE
Charlie was one of the last pups to join our May mission. Orphaned as just a tiny pup, Charlie was found in the knick of time by her American dad while living in Baghdad. She is now living her new life in Alaska! Her dad writes, “Charlie is awesome! She's a happy little girl and has made a bunch of friends in Alaska. She hates bears, beavers and rabbits though. I don't get the rabbit part, but she wants nothing to do with them.Thanks again for everything, I am extremely grateful for your (SPCAI) help.”

BARLEY (the 2nd)

Ironically enough, “Chu” now renamed Barley, is in fact an offspring of our Barley mom above! Charming and playful from the very start, it was simple to see why his adopter fell in love at first sight. Today they report, “All is well with Barley! He resides with us in his own room at our home in Ocala, Florida. We are so thankful to have him in our family. Although he has not warmed up to our Maltese-Poodle mix, Cuddles, it is not because he isn't trying. I think Cuddles is wondering why we brought this big guy into the mix after her 5 years of lone pet time and spoiling!  He gets many looks while on walks in our neighborhood. In fact, people driving often slow to a complete stop to ask what type of breed he is and how old. It gives us time to remember how much we truly appreciate his unique looks and demeanor. He is now approximately 10 months by all accounts of his history in Iraq.  We have lots of appreciation for you and [SPCA International]!”

SQUEAK
Our sweet traveler Squeak made the journey to the U.S. without so much as single meow! Given her sweet nature, she easily found her way into the hearts of her U.S. family where she now resides with another kitty who was brought back from Afghanistan! We are pretty sure they have been exchanging war stories since they met.

On behalf of all of us, we thank each and everyone involved in making Operation Baghdad Pups the success it is today, these reunions could not be possible without your support!

Hannah was afraid of linoleum floors, but why?

This weekend, my friend, Amanda, told me a story about her dear pet of 16 years, Hannah.  Hannah was a Jack Russell Terrier that she adopted from a shelter when Hannah was just 9 months old.  Hannah lived in a loving, safe home where her every need was met and she was doted on with healthy food, free reign of the house, and lots of toys Sadly, the first 9 months of Hannah's life impacted her so deeply that even 16 years of love, stability and safety couldn't shake Hannah's fear of linoleum floors. 

Hannah was rescued from a puppy mill and the rescue group said that the space where Hannah was held captive in filth and deprivation had linoleum flooring.  When Amanda adopted her, Amanda’s home had linoleum flooring in the kitchen and Hannah wouldn't touch it.  If she accidentally found herself on the linoleum, she would start shaking and whimpering. Until the family moved to a new home (without an inch of linoleum), they had to carry Hannah through the kitchen every time she wanted to go into the backyard, many times a day.  Can you imagine what those 9 months of Hannah's life in a puppy mill must have been like to create such a long-lasting, insurmountable fear of linoleum?

The only way we can stop puppy mills is by educating ourselves, our friends and our family about them – what puppy mills are and how to avoid unknowingly supporting them.  If you don't know very much about puppy mills and can't answer these questions for yourself, please read our puppy mill articles.  Once you do know more, please share this information with your friends in casual conversation.  You would be surprised by how many intelligent animal lovers support puppy mills without realizing it because they don’t know the warning signs and think they are buying from a legitimate breeder.  It is only through education and awareness that we will put a stop to this underground, extremely lucrative form of cruelty. Please educate yourself today!

By Meredith Ayan, Executive Director

Animals don’t understand borders. Compassion is a universal language. Members of the U.S. military are stationed on bases all over the world. That’s why our Operation Baghdad Pups program has expanded since its inception in 2008. To date, we have rescued over 540 animals from multiple countries in the Middle East, Asia and Africa.  We are here to help military servicemen and women who need assistance rescuing a dog or cat no matter where they are deployed worldwide.

Until we see peace in every corner of the world, our Operation Baghdad Pups program will continue to serve wherever it is needed – just like the heroes of our U.S. Armed Forces. Operation Baghdad Pups was founded to reunite members of our military with the animals that help them through some of the toughest times of their lives while deployed during the Iraq and Afghanistan Wars, but now we are here to serve them wherever they are. We consider every request, regardless of the location, a chance for SPCA International to give back to our troops.

Do you know a U.S. military serviceman or woman serving oversees that has a special relationship with a dog or cat they befriended there?  Contact Us for help bringing that patriot pet to safety in the U.S. where they can be reunited again. 

I’m delighted to introduce myself as SPCA International’s new Interim Executive Director. Our longtime Executive Director, JD Winston, has chosen a new path after serving SPCAI with passion and vision for over seven years. He will be dearly missed by our staff and supporters, but we are also energized by this opportunity for transformation at a time when SPCAI is poised to make a deeper and stronger impact on suffering animals around the world.

I am not a new face around here – after four years with my sleeves rolled up in SPCAI’s programs, I am excited to step into this new leadership role and help guide the organization through this transition. In just the past few months you have heard from me as I have led rescue operations to Iraq and the Philippines for animals beloved by our U.S. military personnel. Last year, I directed field work in Guatemala and Spain. And earlier this year, I testified on behalf of SPCAI at the Spanish Congress of Deputies during hearings on Spanish Greyhound abuse. I hope you will come along with me as we continue to fight abuse worldwide, help suffering animals and save countless lives.

Sincerely,

Meredith Ayan
Interim Executive Director
SPCA International

P.S. We welcome you to take a moment to email JD Winston notes of appreciation for his years of stewardship. Check out some highlights of my recent work in our video archives.

By Melissa Brett, Guest Blogger

Welcome to my first blog post. I thought I’d take a stab at a topic that came up when I was pregnant that seems to have a lot of misconceptions surrounding it. Specifically, what is toxoplasmosis, who is at risk of contracting it, and how can I protect myself? Read on for answers to these questions, and more!

So what is toxoplasmosis, you ask? It’s a parasite. According to the Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Toxoplasmosis is the leading cause of death in the United States from food borne illness (as of 2014). For the Immunocompetent (ie. people with a normal immune system), it is possible to carry the parasite and not suffer any ill effects other than the possibility of short-term, flu-like symptoms that resolve without treatment. Not so lucky are those who are pregnant, and/or immunocompromised (as in those living with AIDS or organ recipients). For these subjects, toxoplasmosis can result in severe consequences, including death.

There are several different ways to “catch” Toxoplasmosis. Human infection is usually a result of ingestion of undercooked or raw meats. Lamb and pork are the most likely sources, but in some instances beef and game meats have also been identified. These meats must contain cysts, or carry little things called oocytes that are excreted in the feces of infected cats. So if you own a housecat, odds are, you have likely come in contact with the parasite. How does Mittens the friendly cat get Toxoplasmosis? She roams around outside and eats a yummy field mouse who is the definitive host of the parasite, then, voila! Now Mittens has been infected (likely without any symptoms) and will start shedding the oocytes into the litter box for you to scoop out. You breathe in these tiny organisms that might be floating in the air while you scoop, or you neglect to wash your hands after, and now you’re infected as well. As mentioned, you might feel unwell for a couple of days if you are a healthy person, and then symptoms will disappear on their own. If you were to get a blood test done, it would show that you have been exposed to the little critters and are now colonized.

In some countries where cats are allowed to roam freely around farms where consumable livestock are raised, the rates of toxoplasmosis are high if meats are served less than well-cooked as in Mexico and Brazil. Drinking unfiltered water or consuming unwashed vegetables may also lead to infection by ingestion if cat-shed oocytes are present.

So how will this affect you if you’re pregnant? In the case of congenital transmission (mother-to-baby in utero), little risk is posed to the fetus if the mother is a carrier of toxoplasma. If the mother contracts toxoplasmosis infection during pregnancy, or within 3 months of conception, the parasite can cross the placental barrier and infect the fetus. Early infection can result in severe toxoplasmosis causing death of the fetus and spontaneous abortion.

It has been suggested that cooking meats for longer duration at higher temperatures will decrease the spread of toxoplasma, as well as keeping the barn cats away from the livestock. If you are looking to adopt a cat (which I highly recommend!), and you’re pregnant, have someone else scoop the litter box for now.

About the Author: Melissa Brett is a Registered Nurse working in Infection Control in Ottawa, Canada. She is currently doing her Master’s in Global Health and Infectious Disease. A lover of animals – Siamese cats especially – she is a champion for animal and human preventative health.