War: Using Animals in Transport | 589 to live out their remaining days with loving families Other animals continue to play a role in the military, although they are not as well publicized as dogs Each year an estimated 300,000 primates, pigs, goats, sheep, rabbits, mice, cats, and other creatures are experimented on by the U.S Department of Defense or other contracted private entities They are subjected to experimental chemical and biological weapons, or purposely shot and burned so their wounds can be studied for weapons efficiency Animal advocacy groups have demanded greater accountability from these research programs and, with increased media coverage of how the military exploits animals, the public is becoming vocal in its disapproval There is not one member of the animal community that has not been affected at one time or another by man’s wars The only way to repay them is to ensure that they are treated with greater respect and kindness in times of peace Perhaps in the future they will be involved in our conflicts as little as possible, for ultimately the involvement of animals in wars of our own making dehumanizes us all Further Reading Ambrus, Victor 1975 Horses in battle London: Oxford University Press Brereton, J M 1976 The horse in war Newton Abbott: David and Charles Cooper, Jilly 1983 Animals in war London: William Heineman Ltd Donn, Jeff 2007 “Dogs of war valuable in detecting bombs, protecting lives.” Austin American-Statesman, August 15, 2007, B7 Greene, Gordon 1994 A star for Buster Huntington, WV: University Editions Ltd Grier, John and Varner, Jeanette 1983 Dogs of the conquest Oklahoma City: University of Oklahoma Press Hamer, Blyth 2001 Dogs at war: True stories of canine courage under fire London: Carlton Publishing Group Lemish, Michael 1996 War dogs: Canines in combat McLean, VA: Brasseys Putnam, William W 2001 Always faithful: A memoir of the dogs of World War II New York: The Free Press Redmond, Shirley Raye 2003 Pigeon hero! New York: Aladdin Paperbacks Silverstein, Alvin 2003 Beautiful birds Brookfield, CT: Twenty-first Century Books Susman, Tina 2008 A special bond between soldiers in Iraq Los Angeles Times, February 25, 2008 Thurston, Mary Elizabeth 1996 The lost history of the canine race: Our fifteen thousandyear love affair with dogs Kansas City: Andrews and McMeel Web sites www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com: A nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting the adoption of retiring war dogs www.petcem.com: Hartsdale Pet Cemetery is home to the first War Dog Memorial, which was dedicated after World War I www.scoutdogpages.com: A Web site devoted particularly to the role of scout dogs in the Vietnam War www.uswardogs.org: United States War Dog Association is an online archive of military dog history and current news www.vdhaonline.org: This veterans’ organization puts veteran dog handlers in touch with one another and educates the public about the role of canines in the Vietnam War Mary E Thurston WAR: USING ANIMALS IN TRANSPORT Nonhuman animals have often been exploited by humans and the victims of human conflict Recent examples include the loss of life suffered by birds in the U.S.-Iraq War, the killing of cats and dogs in London prior to World War II, and the current ongoing impact of the Rwanda and Congo conflicts on Mountain gorillas Outcomes