stray dogs Archives - French Bulldogs by Bullmarket

An update from the Rocket Bubba Facebook page —

..it seems that Rocket will be going home soon. The two Animal Rescue Organizations contacted me and are working together. The total amount raised in 8 days….Drums please!!!! $3,300.00 dollars. YEAHHH I will be removing the Paypal link since I believe “YOU”VE DONE IT”. More here.

Rocket Bubba needs help getting home from Afghanistan

Here’s something fascinating, from the same Facebook page – a list of the countries that made paypal donations:

United States — 544.
Canada–26.
Brazil–24.
United Kingdom–14.
Australia–4.
Germany–3.
Afghanistan–2.
Argentina–2.
Belgium–2.
Chile–2.
Greece–2.
South Korea–2.
Austria–1.
Colombia–1.
Denmark–1.
France–1.
Israel–1.
India–1.
Iraq–1.
Kuwait–1.

Rocket’s story:

In Afghanistan, a convoy of soldiers driving on the infamous IED Highway discovered a two week old puppy lying near the body of its dead mother. Ignoring the possible danger to themselves (insurgents have used the bodies of dead animals as hiding spots for IEDs), the convoy pulled over and scooped up the puppy.

He wasn’t expected to live, but the round the clock care of soldiers in the platoon not only allowed him to survive, but to thrive. Now named Rocket Bubba, the little spotted dog is five months old, and the favorite pet and mascot of the entire base.

Unfortunately, Rocket Bubba’s days are now numbered. From the Rocket Bubba Facebook page:

Not long ago, the unit that I was with for almost a year left and a new one arrived. They immediately took in Rocket, but the new command staff of the base newly arrived, did not like the idea of the animal in the base. Many soldiers have spoken and attempted to express the benefits of having Rocket, and how it boosts the moral of most, but all in vain. The order was received to put him to sleep. Our sister base nearby that falls under the same command has received the same order and last week, had all the dogs put to sleep at night while soldiers were sleep to avoid confrontation.

Rocket’s days are numbered, I was able to receive permission with the help of many soldiers from different units to keep Rocket until September when I will go on leave, but told that if when I leave, I do not take him, that he will be “euthanized”.

The only way to save Rocket Bubba’s life is to help the soldiers of his base raise the $3500 required to get him out of Afghanistan and back to the US, where he has a home waiting for him. I think its the least we can do, for Rocket Bubba and for the men and women he’s meant so much to.

Watch Rocket Bubba’s video, after the cut.

This just in from Arkansas, where the Helena West animal shelter director has decided that letting his city’s strays run free in the National Forest beats more complicated measures, such as caring for them or trying to arrange for them to be adopted out

Ark. city releases shelter dogs into forest

LITTLE ROCK (AP) — Unable and unwilling to keep abandoned dogs in a dilapidated shelter, the city of Helena-West Helena is taking strays to a national forest and leaving them on the side of the road.

“They are better off free,” Mayor James Valley said Thursday. “Pardon the pun, but it was just something that was dogging us. So it would be easier for us until we get a facility and have a plan that we just not be in the animal shelter business.”

But the St. Francis National Forest isn’t in the animal shelter business, either.

“In the code, it is illegal to release animals, livestock or abandoned personal property on national forest land,” spokeswoman Tracy Farley said.

Valley said the city’s animal shelter was so run down that a regional humane society worker cut its locks last winter and released all the dogs. The city then temporarily moved its shelter to four uncovered pens at the city sanitation department.

After people complained the animals were still not properly cared for, the mayor decided the animals would be better off in the forest. The city street director on Wednesday took about 10 dogs to the forest after feeding and watering them. About three dogs were kept to be put down by a veterinarian, Valley said.

He said the city would need $50,000 to $60,000 to open a new animal shelter — and also must enforce existing animal-control laws.

“We have a leash law that we’ve been trying to work our way into enforcing. It’s been so lax,” the mayor said. “People are not buying leashes or tags for the animals. We could literally pick up every other dog in the city.”

If animal-control officers get a call now, “they’re going to pick the dog up and probably just take them to the other side of town,” Valley said. “And it’s going to be someone else’s problem. … or maybe they will take them to the forest.”

You’d like to believe this is just a joke, wouldn’t you? Unfortunately, here’s a video clip just to back up how surreal-ly real this story is.