Earlier this week, President Obama affirmed that U.S. combat troops will leave Iraq by the end of August "as promised and on schedule." After reading this Associated Press story about a military dog who came home from Iraq "cowering and fearful," I can only hope that President Obama will commit to withdrawing canine troops right away as well. They didn't sign up, and no one can even explain to them why shells are going off and the ground is shaking.

When Gina, a 2-year-old German shepherd, was sent to Iraq to sniff out explosives, she was friendly and playful. But after months of explosions and door-to-door searches with tense soldiers, she returned home terrified of people and places. When her handlers took her into a new building, she slunk along the floor and tried to hide under furniture. Gina was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Unbelievably, Gina's handlers hope that she will recover enough to be able to resume "hazardous duty"! Sorry? What?

You can guess how many military dogs must be coming home traumatized. Humans picked this war—animals should be left out of it.

Written by Paula Moore

Life can be treacherous for everyone living in a war zone. Homeless dogs have been gunned down in Baghdad, and there are even rumors that the Taliban are training monkeys to use guns. (Hey, I said that it's a rumor.) But thanks to a few big-hearted Marines, two lucky cats, now named Kiki and Keykey, have been rescued from a dangerous area in Afghanistan.

When Lance Cpl. Chris Berry, Cpl. Brian Chambers, and Lance Cpl. Aaron Shaw of the U.S. Marine Corps noticed that some homeless cats were hanging around their base, they took the animals in and nursed them back to health, letting the cats sleep with them in the barracks. Then the men arranged for the cats to be transported to the U.S. to live with their families.

PETA is presenting each Marine with a Compassionate Action Award and is also offering to reimburse the cost of having Kiki and Keykey neutered in order to prevent more kittens from ending up homeless. Check out the photos of these Marines and their lucky rescues for further proof that real men are kind to animals!

Written by Lindsay Pollard-Post