Taking Care of Man's Best Friend During Deployment

Dog is man's (or woman's) best friend. Most of us have heard that saying. For some, the bond is so much stronger than best friend. For some, their pets are life savers. Bringing unconditional love when the person feels unlovable in every way. I know several people who have credited their dogs and cats to saving their lives during a very dark time.

And what of the pets for those who are deployed? Whether you look at it from the perspective of the pet or the pet parent, what happens to pets of the deployed? Is there a system in place for temporary placement?

I don't think we do enough to support our deployed men and women on just about any level. I'm not talking about the military itself. Or the wars the so-called powers-that-be (or for some, the powers-that-were) wage. I'm talking about those who are actually deployed. Those who are sent to far-away places to do the dirty ugly work that those calling the shots never do.

If we are going to send our men and women to do this "work", don't we owe it to them to take care of them and their loved ones. The placement of children is generally arranged. But what of pets? What of the dogs and cats and other creatures they have come to love and regard as family?

Enter Dogs on Deployment in the USA and Paws for Deployment in Canada

It does my heart good to know there are people out there making a difference. People making sure that four-legged family members are fostered while their pet parents are unable to care for them. And that when they return, their pets are returned.

It's easy to see the reunions of pets and soldiers as heartwarming.

But let us not forget those who take on the responsibility of caring for these pets for the duration of the deployment. It takes a special kind of person to do this kind of work, knowing that the care-giving is temporary. After all, I'm sure most of them fall in love with their charges.

Pets can be our greatest teachers. They live in the moment. They show us unconditional love. Imagine the world if humans adopted the same way of Being. In the words of Abraham-Hicks: 

Your beasts are here for the purpose of adding balance to the Universe. They are here to enhance your experience. Their greatest value is not the food that they offer you - while that is the way man would look at it. Their greatest value is that they emanate predominantly (it is not always true but it is usually true) they emanate positive Energy. They focus in the moment. They are eternally looking for the positive aspects and they are gloriously oozing positive emotion, which adds to the balance of your Universe.

I would venture to say that we though we think we take care of pets; they are the ones who take car of us.