Dog days of war

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Kneivel and her new (sure looks like he’s smiling) friend Gunner. (TREVOR HAGAN / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)

No dog should be left behind. It's an imperative of the Armed Forces. Of course, it should be no man left should be left behind. But for a Canadian soldier, Cpl. Shane Seguin, that command recently expanded to include an Afghan canine.

Since last August, Seguin has been serving as a military police officer in Forward Operating Base Walton, Southern Afghanistan. His detachment's unit belongs to the Regional Training Centre, Kandahar. The unit's role is to mentor select members of the Afghan National Police. Last December, while assisting Afghani Security Forces, they discovered a small black-and-white puppy being kicked and beaten by local kids. The unit stepped in to save the pup.

According to Seguin's girlfriend, Lisa Kneivel, "it's common practice in Afghanistan." Dogs aren't taken in as pets. The puppy was starving. "Hearts melted for this dog, and the group decided to keep him on the base, knowing that if they turned him loose, he would die," said Kneivel.

The unit trained him and even built a little dog house out of scrap wood. In return, the puppy, aptly called Gunner, lifted their spirits. The 25 year-old Seguin added, with "the assistance of the FOB K9 Team we managed to secure good dog food, grooming tools and even toys."

Gunner became part of their team. Since many of the soldiers have pets at home, the pup gave the group a sense of normalcy and familiarity reminiscent of Canada, said Kneivel. Given the daily danger the soldiers live with, Gunner was a spirit-raiser to them.

In April, Seguin's unit discovered that it would be moving to a different base and wouldn't be able to keep Gunner. The unit knew that he'd have little hope of survival if they abandoned him. Members decided to find a way to send their new team member back to Canada.

Whatever your viewpoint on Afghanistan is, these soldiers are serving their country under difficult conditions. They sacrifice so much. Some cynics might say that bringing a foreign dog back is unwise when we have so many Canadian pets in need. Those who've bonded with a dog or cat know how heart-wrenching it would be to leave that pet behind, especially if it were likely that the animal would die.

Perhaps this compassion toward pet lovers is the reason why Seguin's chain of command accepted the request to save Gunner. That said, "as per any personal endeavour, this was not to take precedence or interfere with the overall mission at hand," explained Seguin.

Kneivel and her family offered to adopt Gunner. The only remaining hurdles were the arrangement of the trip home and who would pay for it. It's no small cost. Thankfully, friends, family, Seguin's unit and a charity called NOWZAD worked together to get Gunner to his new home.

The charity, NOWZAD, runs rescues in the Middle East to aid suffering animals. It gave him food, medicine, shots and shelter as they arranged Gunner's journey to Canada. But no part of the Afghanistan portion of the arrangements was truly safe. Gunner was shuttled to Canada through the United Arab Emirates. He flew to Winnipeg on June 28th.

Kneivel contacted me the day Gunner arrived here. It was easy to tell that she was excited. Who wouldn't be? Gunner is safe and adjusting well. He's also a concrete and furry reminder that Kneivel's soldier is coming home soon.

While this story is about Gunner, it also reminded me of just how hard it is for those who serve in Afghanistan. It's easy for average citizens to forget about the difficult job these men and women do. Yet, for those who have loved ones overseas, it must be incredibly painful to go nearly a year without them. Although communication has dramatically improved over the years, soldiers still have to be guarded with what they share. Seguin had to receive clearance to divulge the information to me for this article. It was a quick reminder of the life he continues to live while his canine buddy is safe in the arms of a loved one.

If you read this column regularly, you know I'm an animal rescue advocate. Aside from the great work these volunteers do, it's their spirit that impresses me. NOWZAD, like other rescues, sees problems and tries to find a way to fix them. Like soldiers, rescue volunteers deal with the cards they're dealt even if some disagree with their mission.

In August, Gunner's soldier will return home. No doubt, he'll be the recipient of tons of excited kisses -- and Gunner will be happy to see him, too.

For those who want to donate to NOWZAD or want further information contact, www.nowzad.com.

char.adam@mts.net

twitter.com/charspetpage

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition July 5, 2011 C5