Save Robby the Military Dog |
Email text contributed by Kris Dickey, 08/02/00:
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ROBBY AN 11YR OLD BELGIAN MALINOIS WILL BE KILLED IN
LESS THAN 6 MONTHS, HE IS NOT SICK, HE HAS NOT DONE
ANYTHING WRONG. WHY? BECAUSE ROBBY IS A PROFESSIONAL
MILITARY WORKING DOG. WHAT THIS MEANS IS WHEN ROBBY IS
RETIRED BY THE MILITARY HE WILL BE EUTHANIZED BASED ON
MILITARY POLICY WHICH STATES: SUCH DOGS AFTER THEIR
YEARS OF SERVICE AS MILITARY K-9 OFFICERS TRAINED TO
SNIFF OUT EXPLOSIVES AND DRUGS ARE EUTHANIZED WHEN THEY
RETIRE. IN MILITARY TERMS RETIRE MEANS EUTHANIZED.
EVEN THOUGH ROBBY'S HANDLER SHAWN MATHEY WANT TO ADOPT
ROBBY THE MILITARY PLAN ON GOING AHEAD WITH THE PLAN.
WE MUST TAKE ACTION TO HELP ROBBY AND OTHERS LIKE HIM! FOR MORE INFORMATION SEE LAURA DENGER'S ARTICLE IN JULY 16 DAYTON DAILY NEWS PLEASE SIGN YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION BELOW CUT AND COPY THIS MESSAGE AND SEND IT TO EVERYONE YOU KNOW IF YOU ARE THE 100 PERSON TO SIGN PLEASE FORWARD THIS MESSAGE TO CAPT.LJFITZHARRISIVLJ@HQMC.USMC.MIL AND GEORGE VOINOVICH AT VOINOVICH.SENATE.GOV I WANT TO JOIN THE SAVE ROBBY CAMPAIGN TO STOP THE USELESS KILLING OF RETIRED MILITARY ANIMALS. [ List of names deleted ] |
Update, 11/14/00: This issue is now moot, because during the first week of November 2000 President Clinton signed into law a bill which makes it legal for former military attack dogs like Robby to be adopted upon retirement. [Source: Press Release from Humane Society of the U.S., 11/09/00.]
Previous update, 10/10/00: According to Capt. Tracy Poirrier, community relations officer of Quantico Marine Corps Base, Robby the military dog is neither retiring nor in imminent danger of being euthanized, despite hearsay to the contrary.
Trained as both an attack and detector dog (a significant fact not mentioned in the email), Robby, who is 8 years old (not 11) suffers from arthritis and has been relieved of his protection duties, but he's still on the job as a detective. He'll remain so, said Captain Poirrier, unless his health problems can't be resolved, at which point he'll be transferred to Lackland Air Force Base to take on lighter duties as part of the dog-handler training program there.
It is true under that neither his current handler nor any subsequent handlers nor civilians will be allowed to adopt Robby. Department of Defense regulations forbid the adoption of trained attack dogs due to the possible danger they pose to the public.
So, ultimately Robby will be put down, but only, Poirrier insisted, when he is too aged or infirm to work at all. "It is not DOD policy to euthanize healthy animals," she said.
Still, objections are being raised on the grounds that the no-adoption policy robs military animals like Robby of the chance to live out their waning years in comfort. Some say the Defense Department is more worried about liability suits than the welfare of the dogs. An editorial in the Dayton Daily News arguing on Robby's behalf observed that police dogs are put up for adoption all the time – why not military dogs?
In any case, the "Save Robby" petition contains inaccurate statements and email addresses that don't work. Anyone interested in Robby's case is better advised to contact Lackland Air Force Base at publicat@lackland.af.mil to learn more about the military policy and/or make your opinions known.
Update: Bill Introduced in Congress - On September 27, 2000, Congressman Roscoe D. Bartlett of Maryland introduced a bill, H.R. 5314, aimed at revising DOD policy to allow adoption of all military dogs, including attack dogs like Robby. You can read the full text of the bill by typing "H.R. 5314" into the search form at the Library of Congress. Contact your congressional representatives directly if you wish to express your support.
Further Reading:
Press Release: Bartlett Introduces H.R. 5314
Press Release: Military Dogs Get Reprieve - Bill Passes
Press Release: President Clinton Signs Bill
DOD Statement on Military Working Dogs
From the U.S. Dept. of Defense Dog Center
From the office of Rep. Roscoe D. Bartlett
The bill is now in the Senate, says Rep. Bartlett
From the Humane Society of the U.S.
