Many of them take their pets with them from station to station. But they can not take them with them if they are deployed or go to war.

A friend of ours has a three-legged Pomerainian that has been all over the US and is now living in Germany with his wife while he is on deployment.

Not everyone thinks about the 'what if'...people divorce and pass away and leave pets behind for various reasons...basically no one wants to contemplate the negative, military people are no different.

Pets fill a need in people's lives. They are important to them for many reasons...especially emotionally. My son chooses not to get a pet because I was very proactive in teaching my family that you must plan ahead and be prepared for a pets needs and my children were right by my side helping with many of our rescues. My kids know how much work a companion animal is. Not many parents that I know raised their kids to think that way. I am a minority.

Doesn't make it right to have to leave behind a companion animal and doesn't make them bad people...but not everyone has the foresight to plan ahead. And not every family is willing to help out.

Most people that I have met on the BB's over the years do think ahead and make plans...but quite honestly we are the minority.

Please remember that unless you have walked a mile in someone else's moccasins you really don't understand their journey.