In answer to our initial plea for help to save Blue, a soldier's mascot who was in danger of being rounded up and shot by the US military in Iraq, we received hundreds of E-mail messages. In our plea, we stated that a battalion commander had issued the "round-up and shoot" order, and was reported to have stated that, if Blue was still around by a specific date, he would personally shoot him. One of the people who wrote to us is a member of the Veterinary Corps currently stationed in Iraq. Here is his heartfelt message:

Greetings:

I do not know people who love pets more than do the soldiers stationed here in Iraq. I am sure the commander you are referring to is as much a dog lover as the rest. Sometimes duty demands that these courageous commanders issue tough orders; they keep their tears and sorrow about these orders for later, during the lonely time in their sleeping bags. They have to make decisions -- unpopular at times -- for the welfare of their soldiers. War is not a clean, aseptic, orderly matter; it involves making quick decisions to save lives and win the war.

The canine and feline populations on military bases in Iraq become unmanageable at times. Among these populations, there are numerous cases of rabies and not enough local veterinary assets to deal effectively with them. Since it is the commander's obligation to provide the best sanitary environment for his soldiers, it follows that it is necessary to reduce the threat of rabies.

I have a dog at home -- a former stray -- who takes care of me and sometimes I take care of him. I rescued him from an island in the South Pacific and brought him to the States. I hope that gives me the credibility to tell you that every time I have assisted in euthanizing rabid and/or stray dogs in Iraq, it was with a broken heart; but I knew it was for a higher cause.

Very few of the stray dogs in Iraq were pets before the war. Iraqis generally consider dogs to be impure beings, and a very small percentage of the population keeps them as pets.

I send you this missive in the hope of clarifying this situation and not challenging your position. We have witnessed too many casualties here, and I do not want to add controversy to this war.

Sincerely,

(name withheld)