The Dogs of War

None of the seven layabouts sprawled in front of the fire tonight have a job to do. That's as it should be, they are my friends and companions, not my servants. Not that there aren't still pets out there with jobs. They hunt and they herd - they retrieve and they rescue.... not to mention the vermin they keep under control. They guide the blind and ferret out drugs and explosives. And they go to war.
Go to war? As long as animals have been (often foolishly) placing their trust in mankind, mankind has brought them into battle. Records dating back over two millennium have mentioned the often active role that was played by animals on the field.
In the last century, animals of all types played important roles in every active engagement. Dogs have run messages and hunted for wounded. The first therapy dog, Smokey, the "Yorkie Doodle Dandy", only weighed four pounds and his monument in Cleveland Ohio portrays him sitting in a combat helmet.
Here in Canada, there is a carved plaque just outside the Memorial Room in the Peace Tower to commemorate all the animals who have served. Visitors to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa can learn about Simone the cat, Gandy the Newfoundland dog, Squeeker the carrier pigeon, Bonfire Jr the horse, Winnie the Bear and even Elie the Elephant.
There are hundreds and hundreds of unsung heroes. In WWI, dogs travelled with stretcher bearers and medics to scout the battlefields for wounded and missing soldiers. It is estimated that at the very least they saved many thousands of lives. During the Second World War, all the major powers used dogs on the battlefront. Once again they found the wounded and missing, but they were also messengers and scouted out machine gun nests. Smokey, the little Yorkie, became a hero when he saved the day by running a communications wire though a seventy foot culvert too small for anyone but a 4 lb Yorkie.
During the Vietnam War, it was actually hard for police forces south of the border to get police dogs because so many of the suitable dogs had already been recruited for sentry and guard duty with the US Military.
Anyone who claims that animals have no soul should go back to their history books. Over the centuries, animals have been loyal and steadfast in their duties. Tomorrow, when you honor the fallen and remember their courage, don't forget to include the unsung heroes - all the animals of war.