A Soldier Returns from Afghanistan to Find His Dog Sold on Craigslist

Brandon Harker is launching a campaign to find his dog, starting with his own ad on Craigslist.

Eight months ago, solider Brandon Harker was deployed to Afghanistan. Like many dog owners in the military who find themselves in this situation -- and there are many, as we learned when we talked to Dogs on Deployment a few months ago -- he had to find a place for his dog, a two-year-old yellow Lab named Oakley, to stay when he was gone. 

He asked his friend to take care of Oakley, according to Q13Fox.com. It was the wrong move.

This month, Harker returned home to find that his dog was gone. His friend told him he had given Oakley away. Harker wasn't about to give up; he turned to social media to try and locate his dog. 

What he discovered was shocking. A number of people contacted Harker, saying that they’d seen Oakley listed for sale in February on Craigslist.

It appears his "friend" did not simply give Oakley away, but sold him. 

Harker has reached out to vets and shelters -- his dog is microchipped and registered -- but thus far has no leads. 

So he too turned to Craigslist. Harker posted an ad, titled simply "Yellow Lab." It says, in part:

He is good with kids and other dogs. He has a unique coat, on his face he has spots of a darker yellow (champagne) he also has spots of the same color going down his sides and legs. If anyone has any information on this and can help me please do. I am just trying to get him back to me since he was wrongfully given away or sold with out my permission while I was deployed. I will also be able to verify the dog is mine because he is microchipped and registered to me. Once again thank you to everyone who sees this and tries to help. If you could spread the word about this issues that would be great as well.

So far, no leads, just a lot of sympathy and a few news stories. Hopefully, those will increase, and the person who has Oakley will find out that the person who really owns the dog is looking for him. No doubt Oakley is looking for Harker, too. 

"He never growled or anything at anybody, he always ran up with his whole body shaking, and then put his head down to sniff you," Harker told KCPQ. "He thought he was a lap dog and he'd crawl up on the couch and try to fit on your lap."

Via Q13Fox.com; photos via Harker's Craigslist ad

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Animal Planet's "Glory Hounds" Follows Military Dogs in Afghanistan

The special on war dogs and their handlers premieres on Feb. 21. Set your DVRs!

Did you know that when Seal Team 6 killed Osama Bin Laden, a military dog was part of the raid, working with his handler? Did you know that the military has more than 600 working military dogs in Afghanistan, protecting soldiers and civilians, sniffing out bombs and tracking insurgents? 

In Afghanistan, military dogs have proved crucial, the best defense against improvised explosive devices (IEDs), which are hidden randomly in the sand. As such, the dogs are also prime targets for the Taliban. They take on the most dangerous roles and develop intense bonds with their handlers. 

Now, thanks to Animal Planet's Glory Hounds, a two-hour special that premieres at 8 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 21, we get to see them in the field. The filmmakers gained unprecedented access, embedding three camera crews among military-dog teams in the most dangerous parts of Afghanistan. 

Getting there was no easy task. It took a year to get permission to film in a war zone, requiring discussions with four branches of the military. Then cameras crews went through specialized training to prepare them for their time in the field, which lasted six weeks. 

Glory Hounds follows four dogs and their handlers:

Lance Corporal Kent Ferrell and his German Shepherd, Zora, who sniffs out IEDs. Corporal Drew Nyman and his Belgian Malinois, Emily, who track insurgents deep in enemy territory. Staff Sergeant Len Anderson and his Belgian Malinois, Azza, who go on bomb-detecting runs while Staff Sgt. Anderson trains for his new role as the kennel master. On one run during filming, they come under fire -- and the cameraman drops his camera to help save Staff Sgt. Anderson’s life.Lance Corporal Durward Shaw and his German Shepherd, Falko, an attack dog and an explosive-device tracker who works on Afghanistan’s notorious Highway One, one of the deadliest roads in the country.In each case, filmmakers explore the intense bond between dog and handler, who put their lives into each other's hands on a daily basis. It's not all pretty. As the press release for the show notes, "In Glory Hounds, as in war, some dogs and handlers come home, some return forever changed, and some don’t come home at all."

Animal Planet's Glory Hounds premieres at 8 p.m. on Feb. 21. Be sure to set your DVRs. 

Want to read more about military working dogs? Check these out:

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3 Beautiful Stray Dogs from Afghanistan in Different Stages of Rescue

Life as a stray dog anywhere is difficult, but in Afghanistan it’s particularly cruel. Strays there are often victims of not just neglect, but terrible cruelty. Hunger is only one enemy. Stoning, maiming, and shooting are some of the other horrors these dogs routinely face.

But thanks to several incredible rescue groups around the U.S., some lucky strays who bonded with soldiers there are being rescued from their nightmarish lives and brought here. Most will eventually be reunited with their soldiers and become their forever dogs.

Today we bring you a look at three strays from Afghanistan in different stages of rescue.

* * *

The dog above is named Willie, and he is still in Afghanistan. His story is best told by a soldier who knows him. This is from the Facebook page of the excellent rescue organization, Puppy Rescue Mission.

“The locals here some how got ahold of him when he was still young, and took him. They didn’t treat him well, and even cut his ears off. The poor guy came running back to base looking for help ears bleeding. The entry control point called up on the radio saying that Willie had returned to base and was bleeding pretty bad. Me and the medics wrapped him up and nursed him back to health. I think he eats better then most of us, since we all tend to give him food when ever we eat. He mostly sleeps with me, however the whole base loves him, and he tends to sleep around with who ever calls his name first haha. To be continued …”

If you check in at Puppy Rescue Mission, you will soon see a page devoted to bringing Willie home. (The thought of this sweet dog running in a panic with the searing pain of his ears having been chopped off and coming to the American military base tears at the heart, doesn’t it?)

As I am writing this in the wee hours of Friday, Smokes is en route to the United States, with five hours to go before landing. Smokes will make his life in Massachusetts with his soldier, Evan Parker. Donors to the Puppy Rescue Mission (people like you and me) helped make this miracle change in this dog’s life come about.

Trigger, rescued by U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, enjoyed some affection when he arrived at JFK Airport yesterday.

“Breathe that air. That’s war-free air.”

These were some of the first words heard by a 70-pound former stray dog from Afghanistan when he landed on U.S. soil yesterday. Trigger may not have understood their meaning, but he probably figured out that he’d ended his long journey from Kabul in a very different place from where he started — one with lots of belly rubs and affection and calm people and no ammo or mortar blasts.

About seven months ago, Trigger was found by soldiers on patrol and quickly bonded with the unit. “He’d come no matter where you were on the base when you called,” said the soldier who helped rescue him and will soon become his official owner. (He needs to remain anonymous to keep the dog and his family safe.)

“You come home at the end of a horrendous day and you’re greeted by a big, loving face,” said someone close to the soldiers. “When you’re away from everything that is familiar to you, it meant a lot.”

A second dog also became part of the unit, but when she was found dead, the soldiers vowed to get Trigger back to the U.S. safely. Thanks to the efforts of the group Guardians for Rescue from Port Jefferson, NY, Trigger is now a U.S. “citizen.” He’ll learn some basic housetraining and obedience skills in New York before heading to Washington state to meet his soldier rescuer, who is based there.He is greatly looking forward to seeing his faithful friend again, and says it will be a little “surreal.”

Sources: Newsday, Puppy Rescue Mission

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Video: Dog Welcomes “Mom” Back from Afghanistan

Molly, age 8, sure missed her person, a US Air Force captain who’d been in Afghanistan far too long for Molly. I think she’d have climbed on her lap and stayed there forever if she could have. Check out the sweet reunion video and imagine how much Molly missed her day in, day out.

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