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Copyright

TheraPet, Inc.
P.O. Box 787
Clark, NJ 07066
(732)602-1112

 

First Honorary TheraPet Membership
Given to Feline Pet Therapy Hero

            The Executive Committee of TheraPet, Inc voted to award Pfc. Hammer its first Honorary Membership “For services rendered to our servicemen and women serving in Iraqi Freedom.” 

                The award was in response to a neat item that was being circulated via the internet recently (and verified by Donna Ballotta).  Andrea Brown of the Gazette reported that “Ten month old Hammer spent the first nine months of his life in Iraq and used to make supply runs with the soldiers serving in the war.  Pfc. Hammer dodged bullets – and lived to meow about it.”  Brown reported that the Iraqi cat was “working” for the 3rd Brigade Combat Team (called “Team Hammer”) under the supervision and protection of Fort Carson Staff Sgt. Rick Bousefield.  “He has been through mortar attacks,” Bousefield said. “He’d jump and get scared like the rest of us.”  While the soldiers kept Hammer safe inside their body armor, Hammer kept the soldiers safe from the mice in the mess hall. 

                What captivated us was the knowledge that the soldiers knew the value of Hammer as a therapy animal.  Bousefield said, “He was a stress therapist.  The guys would come back in tired and stressed, Hammer would come back and bug the heck out of you.  He wiped away some worries.”  Bousefield also reports that when a soldier was wounded, Hammer went to the hospital to cheer him up, incidentally delighting some injured Iraqi children at the same time.

                The next miracle occurred when the unit found out it was being shipped home.  They went to great lengths (including engaging the services of Military Mascots, a group which helps service people who help pets in foreign countries and Alley Cat Allies, who raised the funds for all the necessary shots and plane fare, and escorted the animals to Denver, where he was picked up by Sgt. Bousefield. 

                In addition to the award for Pfc. Hammer for his service under fire, Sgt. Bousefield and his unit receive our gratitude for their service in helping make the world a little safer and eventually more peaceful, it is hoped, for all of us.