From Iraq With Love: Coney's Story

Those of us lucky enough to have experienced the love of a dog understand that they are more than just a pet - they truly are a part of our family.

Families are built in many different ways, and every pet's story is special. Whether we found our furry friend in a shelter, from a breeder, or as a stray - they wind their way into the tapestry of our lives and through the landscapes of our hearts so completely that we can hardly remember a time before they were with us.

Sometimes, the story of how a pet and a family find one another is so extraordinary that it must be told - and the story of Coney is most certainly one of those.

Marty Burke was serving his second tour as an Army Tank Commander in Amarah, Iraq when a stray dog found her way onto the base. The soldiers quickly came to love the sweet dog and welcomed her company. When it became apparent that the dog was pregnant, however - Marty was concerned. They weren't exactly down the road from a Veterinary Hospital - what if the dog became ill, or could not care for her puppies? He knew he wouldn't be able to walk away if that happened - he would have to find a way to help.

When the puppies were born, Marty's worst fears were realized. Whether she was too young, or too ill - the mother did not care for her puppies beyond their first few weeks. One by one they disappeared, and Marty was unable to discover what had happened to them. Saddened by the loss of the puppies, and shortly after, the death of their mother, Marty continued in his duties and looked forward to the day he would return home to his fiancee, Hannah.

One cold night, Marty was heading to work when he heard a strange sound in the dark that seemed to be coming from behind an abandoned freezer. Following the sound, he discovered a tiny, shivering puppy - the sole survivor of the litter! Without hesitation, he scooped up the pup and brought her to work with him. At three weeks old, malnourished, with a malformed front paw, the puppy would most likely not have survived another night alone in the cold - and her odds of surviving beyond that were less than zero.

From that night on, the little puppy became his constant companion. When his shift was over, he would place her in a bomb shelter while he slept, going to retrieve her on his way to work the next night. He nursed her back to health on what he affectionately dubs "Army Milk" and other remnants from his MREs (Meals Ready to Eat). He even thought of a name he liked for her - 'Coney'.

As Coney grew and recovered her strength, Marty was beginning to realize that he couldn't leave his new friend behind. Homeless dogs in Iraq face countless perils - the constant threat of starvation, other wild dogs, and the efforts of the Iraqi people to rid the streets of strays by shooting or poisoning them. He appealed to his fiancee Hannah - what would she think of this fine mess he'd gotten himself into? For Hannah, the answer was simple - she had to find a way to get this little dog home for good.

"Did you say $4,000????"

Hannah's initial research was discouraging, to say the least. She and Marty would need over $4,000 to finance the puppy's trip to Colorado! How in the world would they ever manage to come up with such a large sum? Just as things seemed hopeless, she found a program online through the SPCA - "Operation Baghdad Pups". Created for situations just like Marty and Hannah's, this program raises funds through donations to bring dogs like Coney to the United States. Within a week, Hannah had the funds they needed to bring the puppy home!

Marty was overjoyed by the news - and perhaps even a little jealous that Coney would be seeing Hannah weeks before he would! The details were mapped out by the SPCA - first Coney would be picked up in Amarah by a security company contracted for that purpose and driven to Baghdad. From there she would make the long journey to New Jersey, where she would remain in quarantine until she had passed a health inspection.

A mere three weeks after Hannah had begun her quest to bring Coney home, she found herself entering the cargo area of Denver International Airport. A group of workers sat in a circle with a lively, three-pawed puppy dancing merrily in the center of her new fan club. She knew of only one puppy who had three paws and the power to enchant everyone she met - this must be Coney!

Hannah and Coney knew right away that they belonged together, and when Marty arrived home several weeks later, Coney was absolutely overjoyed to see him. Their family was at last complete.

Families are built in all sorts of ways. In the middle of the desert, in the center of a war zone, a very lucky little dog found hers.

Coney would not be where she is today without the people who helped her along her 7,000 mile journey home. Marty and Hannah would like to say a very special thank you to the wonderful people of the SPCA and the "Operation Baghdad Pup" program. 

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Hannah, Marty, and Coney