Congress Looks at Puppies for Injured Veterans
By Paul Bedard, Washington Whispers
If one of Congress's dog lovers gets his way, grants will soon be heading to animal groups to pair soldiers and vets suffering from war injuries with therapy dogs. It's the idea of Kentucky GOP Rep. Ed Whitfield, known for traveling on the Hill with his Jack Russell terrier, Nigel. The highlight in his bill: Those with post-traumatic stress disorder would get a dog. It's a Whitfield family affair. Wife Connie, a Humane Society exec, tells our Suzi Parker it could help the troops and empty animal shelters.
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Reader Comments
Dogs for vets
As a dog lover, it sounds like a great idea on the surface. Our disabled vets deserve nothing but the best. But a dog needs affection and care like being walked. There will be lots of affection. I'm worried about the care.
I'm also concerned about the amount of paperwork thar would be required. The VA is beyond incompetent so I'm concerned about the administrative parts of this.
Coming to Terms With Our Inability
I have nothing but respect for our wounded service people and they must have the best possible care.
That being said, however, the fact that a Congressman and a Senator spend time on this "legislation" while two foreign wars reel on out of control, we have no sensible energy policy, and hundreds of thousands of Americans lose jobs each month (in the midst of the deepest recession since 1929) is proof that the folks in D.C. have lost connection to reality.
While elephants are falling through the ceiling onto our heads, we're busily stomping ants on the floor.
The timid incompetents in Congress and the Executive branch alike are desperately clawing for ways to distract the voters from realizing that the monied corporatists are running the show, and the people and the Country be damned.
We have the best government money can buy, and it's doing exactly what it's been hired to do: ensuring that the status quo goes on and on and on so that profits to the defense contractors, health insurers and big pharmaceuticals, and the oil companies roll in strong and steady.
And when we stand by and watch Congress and the President embroiled in "issues" that are (frankly speaking) two or three pages down on the priority list without outrage or even complaint, then we are rationalizing. We are attempting to come to terms with the apparent loss of our ability to influence events in this Republic.
We cannot seem to end the wars or make sound energy policy or take effective action to restore stable, middle-class-supporting jobs for the majority of our people, despite electing a Democrat to the White House and putting solid Democratic majorities in both Houses of Congress. So we get busily involved in little causes that make us feel good...that take our minds off the fact that America is in free fall domestically and internationally and we can't seem to get any change, no matter what.
It can be different. We can elect progressives to Congress who aren't bought, and who will vote for the tough choices that need to be made to benefit our Country, our People, and our Future.
And that's why I'm running for Congress.
www.holbertforcongress.com
This is the deal
Dogs have been proven to improve the health of the many people; the elderly, the sick - even the extremely sick in Intensive Care Units, where they allow dogs for medicinal purposes.
And considering how many people are losing their homes, and many losing beloved pets at the same time, this is a good solution all the way around.
Before disparaging the concept, you may want to at least spend a moment or two on Teh Googles, or go to the medical journal websites to investigate. The idea has merit.
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