Happy Memorial Day 2012

--Sgt. Stubby, WW I Hero Dog

My kids are around pit bulls every day.
In the '70s they blamed Dobermans,
in the '80s they blamed German Shepherds,
in the '90s they blamed Rottweilers.
Now they blame the Pit Bull
--Cesar Milan

The gratitude of every home in our island,
in our Empire, and indeed throughout the world,
except in the abodes of the guilty,
goes out to the British airmen who,
undaunted by odds,
unwearied in their constant challenge and mortal danger,
are turning the tide of the world war by their prowess
and by their devotion.
Never in the field of human conflict
was so much owed by so many to so few
--fr. Winston Churchill's ("The British Bulldog") salute
to the Royal Air Force (1940)

________________

Happy Memorial Day. We have written nothing on the holiday per se, and ask only that you remember with the solemnity required of the day.

This post is part remembrance of Sergeant Stubby, the most decorated dog of World War I and the only dog to be promoted to sergeant through combat, and part advert. His heart was legend, and his owner, loving and fiercely loyal to the end. Stubby was an American Bulldog. (Of course, we do not want to give short-shrift to any of the hard-working breeds which have served so faithfully in combat situations.)

"Our spirit shuns this war-like ring;
peace breathes in what we proudly sing"

The group and their site BadRap.org does a great job of explaining the breed throughout history. Ranger has now fostered his American Bulldog for 10 months, and Tyke has proven to be gentle of spirit, loving and patient with children and eager for a dog friend, which he does not have at the moment.

--Buster Brown and Tige

Due to Ranger's travel schedule and the recent discovery that Tyke has a strong prey instinct (typical per breed, as they are Terrier family) and sees the neighbor's cat as sport, it again becomes imperative that Tyke find a great forever home. So this is another shout-out for any readers in the Southeast region who feel they could give a good home to a loving and stable pet. The only requirement is a fenced yard.

Tyke's online advert can be seen HERE.

Tyke the Dog

Here are some more war hero animals.

Here is dog trainer Cesar Milan on the fate of Michael Vick's fighting dogs: To Hell and Back—The Story of Michael Vick’s Pit Bulls.