By Rebecca Frankel
Best Defense chief canine correspondent
When soldiers deploy
what happens to their dogs? And their cats and horses and the many other
beloved animals they call pets? Some are fortunate enough to have spouses,
friends, or other family members who are willing to play temporary guardians,
but others don't have the option to leave their pet in a familiar home.
Such, reports the The Las Vegas Review Journal, was the case with Brian and Kristle
Adelman, a couple who was set to deploy to Afghanistan together, but with
nowhere to leave their two dogs -- Pepper and Rambo. But just as the last, most-dreaded option loomed -- an animal shelter -- another one presented: Guardian
Angels.
These angels took
the form of not one, but two families, each taking one of the Aleman's dogs.
But officially, this is the work of Guardian Angels of
Soldiers Pets -- a non-profit, volunteer-run foster care program established in
2005 with the sole purpose of placing soldiers' pets in temporary homes for the
duration of their deployment.
The Guardian Angels
website has a great collection of dogs and cats that have
been successfully placed in foster care and everything you want to know about
finding temporary shelter for your pet, becoming a foster parent, how to help the program stay afloat.
The site also hosts a blog "Tails from the Front Line" with some great
testimonials.
The Conklins, the couple who took in Pepper, the Aleman's Black Lab, just consider fostering a
soldier's pet while he or she is deployed all part of their civic duty and are
treating Pepper like one of their already large canine family. "They're like
our fur children."
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