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Don't Send Animals To War 2003-04-24, 6:02 p.m. Taken from a PETA page: War: Tell Congress to Leave the Animals Out of It! The Pentagon recently announced that in addition to troops, the U.S. military is using chickens, dogs, dolphins, pigeons, and sea lions to fight the war against Iraq. The Navy is using dolphins and sea lions to intercept terrorists and mines in the Persian Gulf, and the Army and the Marines are using chickens and pigeons to detect the presence of biological and chemical weapons and dogs to detect weapons and rescue troops. Wars are human endeavors. While a person, a political party, or a nation may decide that war is necessary, the animals never do. Like civilians, they often become the victims of war, but now, the U.S. military is deliberately putting animals in harm�s way. These animals never enlisted, they know nothing of Iraq or Saddam Hussein, and they probably won�t survive. There is also no guarantee or even much likelihood that these animals will save humans, and certainly, our troops deserve the very best in surveillance and chemical-weapons detection. Using animals is not the best way to defend our military men and women. The dolphins and sea lions now being used by the Navy in the Persian Gulf were taken from their natural homes or bred in captivity and were forced to give up their freedom and their large family groups. They were denied free access to food so that trainers could force them to do what they would never choose to do on their own. Now they are being expected to swim up to potential terrorists under the water, clamp cuffs onto their legs, and deploy floating markers. Navy officials are not certain that it will work, but they are certain that it is dangerous. The Marines now have chickens and pigeons in Kuwait, even though they also have equipment to detect poison gas. Already, dozens of hens have died en route, possibly, according to the Marines, from the shock of the long trip. While dogs, unlike sea lions, at least enjoy the company of people, their loyalty and love should not be "rewarded" with death on a battlefield. The military can detect weapons and find wounded troops with some very sophisticated equipment. There is no need to put innocent animals at risk. What will happen to dogs who manage to survive a war in Iraq? Five thousand dogs served alongside American troops in Vietnam, but only 140 came home�not because the rest were killed, but because they were abandoned by the U.S. military. This attitude, that animals are expendable tools to be used and tossed out, persists today in our military. Please write to your U.S. senators and representatives and ask them to immediately end the use of animals by the military. You can use our legislative guide to find your representatives at the following link: http://peta.org/alert/leg.html. Click here, to read PETA�s letter to the Secretary of Defense.
Anyone? - 2008-01-24
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