July 4 Heartwarmer: A Marine and His Miracle Dog
While in Iraq, Marine Major Brian Dennis and an Iraqi stray dog — later named Nubs — developed a friendship that turned into a lifelong companionship. Major Dennis (along with Kirby Larson and Mary Nethery) has since written a children’s book about his buddy: Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle.
Dennis and his unit, part of a Border Transition Team, were deployed to help train Iraqi soldiers at a fort 15 miles east of the Jordanian/Syrian/Iraqi border, traveling between the fort and their forward operating base. During one of those visits, as Brian stepped out of his humvee, a mid-size dog resembling a German shepherd came up to the major. Nubs was the alpha dog of a pack of 12 to 15 strays. Says Nethery: “It was like the alpha dog meets the alpha Marine. It is definitely fascinating how that happened.”
The bond between Dennis and the dog was instantaneous and surprising, since there was little reason for a wild dog to trust a human. Dennis named the dog Nubs because an Iraqi soldier had cut the dog’s ears off to make him into a fighting war dog — tougher and more alert.
Dennis explains to PJM:
[The bond started] by the unit showing Nubs kindness. I don’t think that dog had ever experienced kindness from any person or creature until he met us. The more time our team spent with Nubs, the more he seemed to love us. Between border visits (after two to three days the unit would leave for other destinations, and return every 2 to 3 weeks) I was always wondering if Nubs was okay: how was he doing?
As time passed Nubs would run after Brian’s humvee as they were leaving, forcing the major’s driver to lose the dog by speeding up. The reason for this was that Brian could not violate the Marine rule: pets are not allowed in combat zones because of the possibility that the animal would have a disease which would be passed on to the soldier.
During a winter visit to the fort, Brian saw that Nubs did not come up to greet him. He was gaunt and weak from a stab wound to his side that punctured his lung. Says Brian:
Some of the locals who didn’t like us saw that we had grown to like Nubs and they were just trying to get back at us. We never found out who did it. But I told the local Iraqi fort commander that if I found out who did it, I would do the same thing to them that they did to Nubs.
Kirby Larson reasoned that Muslim culture is not fond of dogs, unlike our culture — as evidenced by Major Dennis — that wants to protect, love, and care for domestic animals.
After trying to care for Nubs as best he could, Brian once again had to leave. Two weeks later the unit returned and saw the dog was healing well.
This is the miracle part of the story: after the unit left, Nubs — determined to be with Brian – traveled a 70-mile stretch in a two-day period, enduring major hardships. Nubs found Dennis.
More military brass stupidity. Oh, they might spread disease! Oh, please. How about the benefits? It has been demonstrated that soldiers with PTSD fare far better when they have a trained companion dog. Morale is better amongst troops when they have some mascot dog. Why wait until they get PTSD? Let them have a dog around. It is good for morale, and it is good for coping.
Sometimes you just have to let it out, but you cannot do that in a unit of tough grunts. No cuddling or crying in baseball. But with a dog, you can cuddle and let things out. Some physical companionship goes a long way. Pet owners all know this.
Oh, I assume that feral dogs in Iraq and elsewhere are immunized against rabies, are they? How’s that for a disease: 99.999% fatal (one survivor in all of human history)? Muslims couldn’t possibly infect a pack of cuddly pooches and turn then loose among the U.S. doggie lovers could they? Would they? Remember the cute doggies would show no symptoms for up to several months, they wake up one day rabid as heck and bite everyone in sight.
Untrained mutts even without rabies have never bitten a human they suddenly take a dislike to, have they, especially if frightened by the noise of a firefight?
A war zone is no place for pets. Period. Animals trained for war are, of course, an asset and are allowed.
On the list of infractions, I liken this one to removing the tag from a mattress, and somehow I don’t think being bitten by a dog ranks very highly on the list of most Marines’ concerns. Let ‘em have an unofficial pet, especially if it can boost the morale of troops who have already been deployed more times than they should have. Besides, the dog ran 70 miles to be with these guys; what are they supposed to do, shoot it?
No, they are not supposed to shoot it. They are to arrange for proper quarantine and send it to the new owner’s home away from a war zone. This is what they did.
Also, if you think getting rabies is as trivial as pulling off a mattress tag, well, you are dangerously deluded.
Vaccination. Is that a novelty thing in the Army?
Bill N you should be in the line up for another stupid liberal that isn’t worth a crap but know how to tell our hero’s what is good for them. If anyone is rabid it is the Muslims that have infiltrated and killed for the past 2000 past years and don’t give a dam if it is a family member or not. Get a Grip clown
Semper Fi
What was your MOS?
Can we get a little more far fetched in our thoughts? So, with your theory, NO TRAINED DOG has ever bitten anyone and each and every stray is loaded with sickness that could end up killing humans? Really? I must have missed something in all of my years working with strays.
As one who has adopted numerous strays, both cats and dogs, I can say, first hand that while yes, some strays can have a few medical problems, I have yet to run into a pack of rabid dogs. And the few problems that my strays have had, were of danger to the animal if not taken care of, not the human. Doesn’t mean a pack of rabid dogs isn’t possible, but you would have a much, much better chance of getting hit by a car while crossing the street. So does that mean you don’t cross the road now?
As far as biting? ANY dog could bite in the right situation, trained or not.
And while you speak of muslims infecting dogs with rabies and turning them loose, isn’t it odd and sad, that our soldiers have to be kind, understanding and generous to people who they know want to kill them, but isn’t allowed to interact with the animals who not only end up giving them something to care about and make their lives a bit brighter, but show the soldiers affection in return?
Let the troops have their adopted dogs. I’d rather my tax money go to caring for these dogs that the soldiers take in, who in turn help make these guys and girls life at war a bit more bearable, than to people who take our money in one breath and wish for our demise in the next……..
1) You have created a straw man. I never said that trained dogs don’t bite; however they are much less likely to. What they do do is provide is a valuable service that makes the risk of a bite worth it. Pets do not. Any dog can bite? Absolutely true, that’s why pets are forbidden.
2) You are to be congratulated for working with stray animals. You don’t say where you are from, but I assume that it is a civilized country where disease control is the norm. In a country like those where our troops are fighting this is not the case. I doubt if many (any?) dogs in Iraq are immunized, feral dogs least of all. Your animals are as different from Iraqi wild dogs as Muslims are from Christians. Then there are fleas and the plague, worms and much more.
3) Money was never the issue. I don’t think the taxpayers ponied up the $2K to send the dog to the U.S. and anyway whatever was spent was certainly trivial. Another straw man.
4) I couldn’t agree with you more when you say it is unfair that we have to treat Muslims kindly even though they want to kill us. But why make it easier for them? They haven’t tried sicking rabid dogs on our troops because they know it probably won’t work because of the no dogs rule. How would you feel if one (1, a, single) American got rabies from his buddy’s pet mutt?
In short, war is cruel. Don’t give the enemy any advantage.
Rabies vaccine is neither rare nor expensive. The US Army also has one of the best veterinarian services in the world (from the days when the US Army bought it’s beef on the hoof, and used horses).
A limited number of pets would be a minor burden, and decrease the moral burden on the troops.
You are a moron – and know nothing about rabies……
How’s that for a disease: 99.999% fatal (one survivor in all of human history)?
You left out one rather essential point: rabies is only fatal if untreated. Life-saving injections to cure rabies in humans have existed for decades. I worked with a guy about five years ago who had TWICE contracted rabies and twice been cured. As a kid, he had lived in a rather remote area of Quebec and often played with semi-wild dogs. The first time he got rabies, he required daily injections (which were apparently quite nasty) for two weeks but he survived long enough to get rabies again a few years later. The second time, one injection was all he needed.
That is not to say that the military should be completely indifferent to the possibility of soldiers getting rabies or any other disease from local animals. But let’s not overstate the consequences of getting a disease either, especially a curable one like rabies.
Hmm, so they don’t have rabies shots or vets in Iraq, guess again, readily available and if he does not have the shot he can get it. After all, their are war dogs over there working with the troops.
As for you, well, world does not really need your sort.
In Viet Nam I knew several people bitten by rodents who had to take rabies shots–they worked. We always had local dogs around. It was not only an emotional benefit, they also warned us of incoming and sometimes growled at the bad buys in our midst.
Absolutely. There were lots of dogs on most of the bases in VN. I always figured it was because they knew they had an eventual date with the stew pot if they stayed in the villes. They were Vietnamese dogs but they sure didn’t like the Viets much. Our own guard dogs seemed much more vicious than any of the strays–walk past their cages when their handlers weren’t around & they’d be leaping at the bars trying to get at you.
I understand the military rules. COs break them on occassion, just like any rule.
It’s all common sense. Obviously this dog was meant to be with this man.
What a cool story.
Glad it worked out!
There are many comments as to right and wrong here but to me, it’s just a
beautiful story. Thank you to all Marines that care for the animals in all war
zones….the mother of a former Marine.
A happy ending. Hooray!
Numerous times dogs who have been befriended by American Marines and G.I.’s have followed their new “masters” out on patrol and have helped out our Marines and troops by sensing and pointing out insurgents, and other dangers that might have been missed or dectected later by the humans.
Marines used dogs in the South Pacific during WWII to great effect – there is even a monument to the bravery and loyalty of these Marine War Dogs.
Dogs are FAR smarter (within their own behavior ranges) than people ever give them credit for. There are stray dogs in Russia which have learned to commute to more productive begging grounds, then back to their own, home territories, by riding trains. They learn the schedules, they learn the stops, and they behave themselves while riding (even abiding by an apparent truce among hostile packs) to avoid being kicked off.
http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/article2372125.ece
Dogs, more than any other domestic animal, have evolved to live among humans. They descend from animals which already share strong social bonds among themselves, and have grown to the point where “humans are their environment.” That’s why, even a stray or feral dog, given the opportunity, will tend to attach itself to a friendly human “pack,” because that is where a dog is most comfortable. Dogs dun rely on humans solely for food and shelter; it’s also a deeply-rooted need for a social environment, which is why buying a puppy because it’s cute, and then tying the grown dog out in the yard for the rest of its miserable life is irresponsibly cruel. =’[.]‘=
I don’t care how jingoistic this is, Americans are the best people in the world. Even dogs want to come to America.
Nicely stated, and totally agreed.
good one
The Muslim dogs make much better citizens than the male Islamists:-) Even the dogs know that. Now if we could just neuter those Islamists.
Dogs are the most innocuous of your immigrants. It’s the Africans, Arabs, Mexicans and other third-world free-loaders who are killing America.
How a culture relates to dogs is as good an indicator as any of their moral and ethical standing. Those that find “sport” in beating a dog tend to be violent societies. The more modern and “Western”, the more dogs are treasured.
Arab culture has a general disdain for dogs – no surprise as Mohammed hated dogs and deemed them “unclean”. Israeli papers, in contrast, just published the results of its “most popular” dog breed poll (it’s the Labrador). Indeed, the US Army and the IDF both make extensive use of dogs for security, and those dogs of the IDF’s elite “Oketz” unit who are killed in battle are buried with honors.
Wonderful story. Marines may be tough on the outside, but they have great hearts.
Or is it their great hearts than enable them to be tough? The two aspects are not mutually exclusive. You can love your enemy while killing him.
Many people do not understand the role of courage in both aggression and love.
This could be a Disney movie.
Disney? I doubt it. They might produce it under one of their other names, though. War zones, particularly with all that military language and situations, are not kid material.
This story actually reminds me of a Disney film from 1963 called The Incredible Journey. THat was was a film version of a true story about two dogs and a cat that travelled a much larger distance through wilderness in Canada after they were separated from their vacationing owners. Apparently, the animals in question travelled 300 miles, even further than Nubs. Also, I see in IMDB that the movie was remade in 1993 as Homeward Bound: The Incredible Journey.
The Disney studio you’re thinking of doesn’t exist any more. Modern Disney productions are definitely not suitable for children.
Curious if the two soldiers who reported the dog were Muslim.
Doubt that, they probably just did not like the CO so a little evil vengeance.
Love dogs, have an assortment of strays, they are great friends, loyal, trustworthy and warn of those who would do you harm.
My first thought as well.
God made dogs, so that Marines could have heroes.
Nice!
marines and dogs go back a long way, the germans in ww1 called us “devil dogs” and our mascot is a bulldog named “chesty” after marine general “chesty” puller. i’ve got a dog lying beside my seat as i type, a pit bull/rottweiler mix. i raised him from a new born pup, napping in my lap, and a more loyal friend, second only to my wife, i could not ask for. “semper fidelis” indeed.
Absolutely ‘gunner’! As a devildog myself the history of ‘Chesty’ was interesting and through a modicum of research I learned the original USMC mascot was named SGTMAJ Jiggs. He ‘enlisted’ in 1922. ‘Chesty’ was drafted in the late 50′s. Previous mascots have also been named Smedley. http://www.usmcpress.com/heritage/marine_corps_mascot.htm
Semper Fi
I’m disgusted at Muslim cruelty to this lovely dog. Dogs are intelligent creatures – special gifts from God to humanity! Dogs have saved the lives of so many humans! They are heroes!
I read the story of one dog whose owner died. The dog was and is, so heartbroken, that every morning the dog waits outside the cemetery for the gate to open, then spends the entire day by his owner’s grave. Undying love.
I believe you may be thinking of Greyfriars Bobby.
I was bit by a stray and got the rabies series as a precaution as it couldn’t be caught. It was 4 shots, one each month for 4 months. No biggie. Every vet, vet assistant, etc has had the vaccine.
Dogs have better senses than humans. Seems like it would be a no-brainer to have dogs with combat units. My dog knows someone is coming long before I do. Seems like that would be more valuable in combat than suburbia.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?GRid=14798700&page=gr The Marines originally used German Shepherds and Dobermans, but a decision was made after WWII to go exclusively with the German Shepherd.
Read an article once that speculated that dogs played a crucial role in human evolution. The hypothesis was that early humans relied on dogs’ superior hearing and smell to warn them of approaching threats. Thus they could evolve flatter faces, with concomitant loss of acute smell, without penalty, making development of speech possible.
Another theory I read, which makes sense to me, is that the close relationshhip between dogs and people is based on the fact that we understand each others’ body language. In contrast, cats don’t get human body language at all, which is why a cat will unerringly go to the one person in the room who doesn’t like cats, and jump on his lap. Among cats (and lions, etc) a direct, wide-eyed stare is a threatening posture. When you narrow your eyes and look away, the cat thinks that’s an invitation.
Of course, that’s only a small part of what makes dogs a man’s best friend.
I, more than the rest of you, probably know the healing power and work of dogs. I have been partnered for the last 19 years with a service dog of one type or other. I am currently on dog #3, and looking for dog #4. All trained for mobility (I am confined to a wheelchair), and all owner-trained, except for the first). I depend on my dog to help me in and out of my wheelchair, pick up things I drop, carry things in a backpack and alert someone if I need help. All trainable by me, and all learned when the dog was a puppy, except this last dog, who was abandoned to the backyard with his sister until he was a year old when I adopted him. I have no sympathy for those that adopt dogs and do that, because Chewie has many quirks that that my previous dogs did not have.
Awesome story… brought tears to my eyes…
Can’t wait to get that book and read it to my 4 kids!… If y’all wanna hear “Unknown Souldier”, a crew for a feature documentary filmed a video of the song recently and it is now up on youtube… here’s a link to the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGEqhWeaXic&feature=related
I wrote a song a while ago called “Unknown Souldier”, and the beginning vocals go “Hang On, ’cause every dog is gonna have his day…” I’m so glad that Nubs had his day, and is goin’ to finish out his life in a better place due to the love Major Dennis has shown that mutt… People often misunderstand soldier love
If you want to download “Unknown Souldier” for free, go to http://www.FreedomRoadRadio.com
free music download page and enjoy
Just FYI, military units with dogs goes back a LONG ways, it was the custom to have dogs who had a “job” of living in the stables to keep the horses calm (hence Dalmatians you see on horse drawn fire trucks and riding on the Bud Beer wagon. I heard they are pretty dumb as far as dogs go, but could easily run alongside a team without getting stepped on, unlike other dogs who aren’t as swift in close quarters. )
I know the Coast Guard used to have mascots not just at stations, but on ocean going ships (cutters) . One of them got busted for getting drunk/partying all night and missed ship’s movement. These dogs weren’t “owned” by anyone per se, the dog really owned the cuter.
Three quick comments:
1. I love a good “dog story”.
2. I love what the Marine Major told the Iraqi commander would happen if they found out who hurt the dog. Something similar to that happened to me, when I was a boy and a crazy man threatened my dog. I told him what I would do to him, and after that everytime he saw us coming he ran inside and hid.
3. I wonder if the two Marines from outside of the unit that reported the dog, ever “tripped and fell” in the showers?
Most animals are better than many people, I’ll take my chances with a pet over a person any day…they are honest, reliable, intelligent, kind and loving if you let them!! They are angels with fur…..I tust them over peole any day too!
What a wonderful heartwarming story. I am so happy that Nubs is in a safe place and is loved. The Major, and his company show compassion for people and animals which is typical of Americans, and it is unfortunate that the people who are being trained by our men and women showed their hatred for a simple pet of the unit that befriended him.
Great feel good story with a happy ending. Maybe we should rely more heavily on man’s best friend when we are deciding who our true friends are.
I guess Bill N. Never ever breaks the rules. he always follows the speed limit not 1 mph faster, never uses his cell phone while driving. Always always makes a complete stop at stop signs.
US Gi’s have always adopted dogs. in WWII my father in law had a dog names JOJO. My father in law was there on D day, recieved a battlefield commission. so to sit here at home and try to play MR Rules is a non starter. If the Gi’s want a damn dog let them. The 2 marines that reported the unit for the dog what a bunch of pussies. Running to MOMMY cause “I CANT HAVE ONE.”
Semper Fi Nubs and Brian!
Have often thought the final showdown will be between dog-loving and dog-hating/eating nations/cultures. Probably the best way to get the French into that fight
LASSIE starred in at least two WW2 movies – one where she stows away on Peter Lawford’s plane, and saves him when he gets stranded in German-occupied Norway, and another where Lassie actually gets drafted, and works devotedly as a tracker with the US troops during the battle on (I think) Okinawa.
Dear Ms. Cooper:
I would like to donate some $$$ for Nubs care and the cost of getting him hear. Please have PJmedia give you my contact. I had to put my old boy of 15 years down a few months ago and I want to be sure these two can have a go at it.
Please get word to me, HRWolfe
Well, this is a wonderful post. Dogs will always be man’s best friend. It’s pretty amazing how they can help human in many ways. I feel bad for those who pay no respect with these wonderful animals. I owe my everyday safety to my 2 dogs. I actually own 2 service dogs – shitzu and poodle – Tom and Jerry. As one of America’s disabled my dogs will always be huge help for my survival.