Petition for a Dog Failed

British troops in Umm Qasr, Iraq, has had a dog as a mascot, two-year-old Sandbag. Sandbag has lived with the troops, charing pleasures and hardships. However, as the last of the British troops now return home, pleas to the UK government to make sure Sandbag would be taken to Britain has failed. The government says this is the decision of the commander on the ground. Sandbag would be cared for at the military base where he has always lived, by the US troops taking over the responsibility for the base.

I feel sorry for Sandbag, who will have to adapt to new humans instead of moving off with humans he knows. On the other hand, I cannot help wonder why the UK government would be expected to take care of Sandbag's journey to Britain. Was there no British soldier on the base who personally adopted Sandbag? Did he not have one particular human who was his, and whom would have taken care of him and made sure he would go to Britain when the British troops left Umm Qasr? A dog is not supposed to be collectively cared for by a vast number of humans, not without a particular human having the ultimate responsibility. It is not the government's responsibility to make sure Sandbag has a good life, because a dog should not be cared for by a collective or a legal entity such as the government. A dog should be cared for by one human, or a couple of humans. This human has the responsibility to bring the dog when moving.

On a side note, I believe the US troops can care for Sandbag at least as well as the British troops did. Hopefully, one of the US soldiers will personally adopt Sandbag as his dog.