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Among the 80 Navy SEALs who raided Osama bin Laden's compound in Abbottabad was a member of another species—a dog. The New York Times reports that a dog who was likely trained to detect explosives was strapped to a SEAL's chest and lowered from a helicopter into the walled compound. Like the identities of the SEALs involved in the mission, details about the dog are being kept under wraps, but we can only hope that, since he or she is being described in the present tense as a "hero," the dog survived and was evacuated safely with the rest of the team.

An estimated 600 dogs are being used by U.S. forces in Afghanistan and Iraq, and General David Petraeus has called for the use of even more dogs, claiming that their abilities "cannot be replicated by man or machine." In the year 2011, we would argue that technology can—and should—be used in place of animals in dangerous missions. We are not against working dogs per se (it depends on the conditions, training, and retirement plans), but we are against sending dogs into what will probably be a gun battle.

Written by Alisa Mullins

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"[A] living, breathing movie whose horrifying disclosures feel fully earned."
—The New York Times

"To watch bleeding dolphins struggle for their last breath, to actually hear their agony, is devastating. … [Y]ou feel culpable just for being part of the species that can teach another mammal tricks, reward it with snacks and pats and at the same time be capable of getting up at dawn to poke it to death with spears."
—Time

"[O]ne of the most powerful, heartfelt, and (yes, I'll say it) important 'nature' documentaries I've ever seen."
—Cinematical

"[T]he footage is so horrifying, the facts so disturbing. It's not that you can't believe it, but that you don't want to."
—The Huffington Post

When this movie hits theaters near you, go!

Written by Shawna Flavell