Reorg apparently flew truer than Jabulani.
This story is only tangentially about soccer. But if you aren’t moved at least a little, you’re a cold bastard.
Sarah Marriott was stationed with the British army in Afghanistan earlier this year when she was on a foot patrol and noticed some kids playing soccer. WITH A PUPPY.
She asked the kids why they would do such a thing, and they said they were on their way to drown the puppy since it was not needed by its owner.
Oh, that makes it so much better.
Marriott took the puppy back to base and spent six months bringing it back to health. The pooch, whom they named Reorg (TACTICS!), is doing quite well now and has made the trip to the UK. He’s in quarantine now, and once he’s out he will live with a member of Marriott’s family since she is likely to be redeployed to Afghanistan.
The best part of the story (bold emphasis is mine):
Reorg was poorly at first, unable to walk for the first few days. Yet slowly but surely the badly bruised and malnourished bundle of fluff was nursed back to health – on a diet of army porridge and Spam.
Which leads me to wonder why Oliver Twist bitched so much.
Cheers to Cpl. Marriott and here’s hoping Reorg doesn’t get some kind of post-traumatic stress disorder wig-out the first time he sees a football match on the telly.
Paging Anonsters. Paging Anonsters. Please pick up the white courtesy phone. There is a post just for you on this site.
TSE, I commend you for finding room amid a dog trauma story to mock the Jabulani. That ball was rubbish.
Sooooooooo cute!
I wonder if pupsters gets totally verklempt at this post and holds his dog a little bit tighter this morning, or if all the inanimate objects in his house are in danger from the rage boiling under his skin at those stupid f**king kids.
There’s a book about someone who basically set up a dog shelter in Afghanistan to save dogs from s**t like this (and just from being stray in Afghanistan).
Sadly, it’s out of print and I haven’t been able to get a copy at all. Boo.
http://www.amazon.com/One-Dog-Time-Helmand-Inspiring/dp/0091928818/
Not to be cynical, but I think there are things that are needed more than a dog shelter in Afghanistan. That being said who the hell kicks a puppy? It’s a small step from kicking puppies to babies I say.
thats why I could never make it in the military, I would have kicked those kids in the head if I saw them doing that to a puppy. I hate people
arkie- not kicking puppies is a good start though, if they cant refrain from doing that, I dont have much faith in them having a stable society… Least the dogs piers dont resent you for trying to help them either, one could argue that long term, the dog shelter will be more effective than attempts at nation buliding
Arkie: While on some level I agree. Not everybody can address every problem all the time. If someone has resources and ability that aid in the sheltering of dogs more than in something else, I wouldn’t actively stop that person.
Luckily it’s not an either-or problem, Arkie. And if you read the description of the book, (a) the dog shelter was pretty much just an area fenced in with sandbags, and (b) the dogs did a ton to help morale with some of the troops.
@arkie – strangely, I’d rather people kick babies than puppies. Maybe Pharoh was really a puppy lover who took that stance against boys? Karma existed back then, right? lol.
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But then again, most of the world doesn’t domesticate these animals like westerners do. They’re considered menaces (and are usually supposed to – gasp – find their own food and shelter instead of having it given to them by ‘owners’). Then again, I was in East Africa, and those people work hard to find their own food and shelter daily, let alone give some of it to some dog wandering around. Survival of the fittest…(but puppies don’t count because they’re too small to do anything yet). Right, have I contradicted myself fully yet? Good.
I hope the soldiers took the kids doing this and drowned them instead. Stupid motherf**kers. And f**k everyone who tries to see reason in any of this. I mean it. F**k you.
Allow me to be the first to say
Awwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwe
Because I just can’t help myself.
For today only, I will change my avatar to a pic of my dog Rooney.
Furthermore, I assert this. Am I addicted to cute? Maybe.
@Anon – No wonder you love me! Don’t worry, I don’t hold it against you.
Anonsters: I will second TSE’s avatar sentiments. May take a few minutes to update, but say hello to Theo.
And suddenly, it’s Puppy Day here at UF
In no way am I posting just to show my support for dog day at UF.
Damn, I wish I could have a puppy.
Theo! Umlaut! This is, perhaps, the greatest day in the history of Unprofessional Foul. Well done, one and all.
@Pupsters: Look at Dan higher up in the thread, too.
@TSE: Dan is always the man, though, not just on special UFpuppies day. :)
I present to UF my bulldog Omar.
I like kitties more.
(But really. Dogs scare me a little. I don’t mind them though.)
What the f**k is going on around here…
Congratulations to Sarah Marriott!!!! I’m very happy with this attitude. How can I get Marriot’s mail address? Thanks!
@JT: It’s only the greatest day in the history of UF is all!
@Sheyla: I’ll look into it, but I suspect you’d have to call some main number for British military in London, then go from there. either that or you can send a message to her through the reporter or the news desk of the Daily Mail, which is where I found the story.
My 15 year old died two months ago but I’ll try to find a pictureof him. :(
@Tno: I’m sorry. :(
It’s ok he lived a long long life. It would be more sad if he died young, known him since i was three though so It’s weird not having him.
I’m jumping in on the puppy day thing because my puppy is the prettiest puppy in all the land.
Yay Sarah!
Today is good.
i summon the effort to comment once a blue moon, but when puppies are involved i’m in
Boy this place has really gone to the dogs! Haha…ha…ha…
@LE: I hope you report that joke for your character and fitness eval.