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Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan

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Carolina
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Post  Guest Sun 3 Jul - 9:11



Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2f090283ee-087e-49a0-be56-c1aae5170694
THEY were inseparable on the frontline... the courageous ­soldier and the loyal dog always by his side, even during ­firefights with the Taliban.

So when Para Conrad Lewis was killed by sniper fire during a patrol in February, his pet Pegasus was left alone in Afghanistan without her master and best friend.

Now Private Lewis’s family have brought the dog to Britain to live with them after an extraordinary rescue campaign aided by his comrades.

Named after the Paras’ winged horse emblem but known as Peg, the three-year-old mongrel stray was adopted by Conrad, 22, who fed her from his rations.

But then four months into his first tour of duty, Conrad and Private Lewis Hendry, 20, were killed when their patrol came under fire in Helmand province.

Initially left forlorn at his former base, Peg has now made the 3,500-mile journey to a UK quarantine centre and will eventually join Conrad’s family.

Conrad’s father Tony said his son first saw Peg soon after he was sent to ­Afghanistan last October with the Fire Support Group, attached to A Company, 3 Para. Tony, 49 – a director for ­Nissan – said: “Conrad was based at ­Checkpoint Qudrat in Nad Ali, and Peg was already there when he ­arrived. In one of his first letters, he wrote, ‘I’ve got a dog’ and described how she used to go out on patrol with the unit and sleep with them. Conrad was a big dog lover.”

On patrols Peg would sit down when the Paras took cover, then run alongside him as his platoon advanced.

Tony added: “The photo we have of ­Conrad with a grenade launcher under one arm and Peg in the other is typical of him.”

When Conrad returned home to ­Claverdon, Warwickshire, to spend ­Christmas and New Year with his family, he told them he wanted to bring Peg home at the end of his tour of duty. But after flying back to join his comrades, he was killed on ­February 9.

Tony said: “When we spoke to his friends at his repatriation and his ­funeral, they told us Peg was still at the checkpoint.

“She was the link to Conrad and the job that he did and knowing how much he loved her and had wanted to bring her home, we wanted to complete the task.”

They were helped by Pen Farthing, an ex-Marine who has set up the charity Nowzad to care for abandoned dogs, cats and donkeys in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Peg had to be smuggled out of the Nad Ali district by Conrad’s pals, who hid her in a bag and hitched a helicopter ride. Afghan Police then drove her to Kabul, where she stayed at a dog shelter before being passed fit to fly. Peg is being visited in quarantine by Tony, wife Sandi, 48, Conrad’s brother Jordan, 19, sister Siobhan, 17, and Conrad’s ­girlfriend George Harris, 20, and moves in with the family in November. A-level student Siobhan said: “She was nervous to start with but has got to know us all and we can’t wait to get her home.”

BAND OF MOTHERS: Page 31



Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/07/03/family-of-killed-para-bring-his-pet-dog-home-from-afghanistan-115875-23242708/#ixzz1R1kIZ2sM

See also http://www.nowzad.com/ and Conrad Lewis justgiving in memoriam page (in aid of Nowzad) http://www.justgiving.com/Conrad-Lewis

Follow @Nowzad on twitter


Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2f1f0c5d59-baa1-4ab4-8bc3-cb8e9a5c736a

Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2fbb64f70b-f560-4249-952c-1b312402d142

Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2f67f0f93a-42c0-43b1-99f6-32e3ce646de5
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Post  malena stool Sun 3 Jul - 9:59

carmen wrote:


Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2f090283ee-087e-49a0-be56-c1aae5170694
THEY were inseparable on the frontline... the courageous ­soldier and the loyal dog always by his side, even during ­firefights with the Taliban.

So when Para Conrad Lewis was killed by sniper fire during a patrol in February, his pet Pegasus was left alone in Afghanistan without her master and best friend.

Now Private Lewis’s family have brought the dog to Britain to live with them after an extraordinary rescue campaign aided by his comrades.

Named after the Paras’ winged horse emblem but known as Peg, the three-year-old mongrel stray was adopted by Conrad, 22, who fed her from his rations.

But then four months into his first tour of duty, Conrad and Private Lewis Hendry, 20, were killed when their patrol came under fire in Helmand province.

Initially left forlorn at his former base, Peg has now made the 3,500-mile journey to a UK quarantine centre and will eventually join Conrad’s family.

Conrad’s father Tony said his son first saw Peg soon after he was sent to ­Afghanistan last October with the Fire Support Group, attached to A Company, 3 Para. Tony, 49 – a director for ­Nissan – said: “Conrad was based at ­Checkpoint Qudrat in Nad Ali, and Peg was already there when he ­arrived. In one of his first letters, he wrote, ‘I’ve got a dog’ and described how she used to go out on patrol with the unit and sleep with them. Conrad was a big dog lover.”

On patrols Peg would sit down when the Paras took cover, then run alongside him as his platoon advanced.

Tony added: “The photo we have of ­Conrad with a grenade launcher under one arm and Peg in the other is typical of him.”

When Conrad returned home to ­Claverdon, Warwickshire, to spend ­Christmas and New Year with his family, he told them he wanted to bring Peg home at the end of his tour of duty. But after flying back to join his comrades, he was killed on ­February 9.

Tony said: “When we spoke to his friends at his repatriation and his ­funeral, they told us Peg was still at the checkpoint.

“She was the link to Conrad and the job that he did and knowing how much he loved her and had wanted to bring her home, we wanted to complete the task.”

They were helped by Pen Farthing, an ex-Marine who has set up the charity Nowzad to care for abandoned dogs, cats and donkeys in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Peg had to be smuggled out of the Nad Ali district by Conrad’s pals, who hid her in a bag and hitched a helicopter ride. Afghan Police then drove her to Kabul, where she stayed at a dog shelter before being passed fit to fly. Peg is being visited in quarantine by Tony, wife Sandi, 48, Conrad’s brother Jordan, 19, sister Siobhan, 17, and Conrad’s ­girlfriend George Harris, 20, and moves in with the family in November. A-level student Siobhan said: “She was nervous to start with but has got to know us all and we can’t wait to get her home.”

BAND OF MOTHERS: Page 31



Read more: http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/top-stories/2011/07/03/family-of-killed-para-bring-his-pet-dog-home-from-afghanistan-115875-23242708/#ixzz1R1kIZ2sM

See also http://www.nowzad.com/ and Conrad Lewis justgiving in memoriam page (in aid of Nowzad) http://www.justgiving.com/Conrad-Lewis

Follow @Nowzad on twitter


Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2f1f0c5d59-baa1-4ab4-8bc3-cb8e9a5c736a

Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2fbb64f70b-f560-4249-952c-1b312402d142

Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Imaging.ashx?imageType=frpphoto&img=62011%2f67f0f93a-42c0-43b1-99f6-32e3ce646de5
Thank you Carmen,
Such a sad story, let's hope Peg clears quarantine and settles with Conrad's family.
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Post  Carolina Sun 3 Jul - 10:14

Such a moving story especially as I have just adopted a dog who was roaming the streets abandoned. I have tears in my eyes. BTW, why do the English subject dogs to this 6 month quarantine. AFAIK, they can do blood tests on the dogs to see if they have any dangerous diseases.
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Post  Colonel Fabien Sun 3 Jul - 10:45

What a moving story. What kind people to think of their son's dog and to come to it's rescue.
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Post  wjk Sun 3 Jul - 12:46

Brought a tear to my eye.
I hope Peg has a long and happy life with Conrads family, I'm sure she'll be spoilt rotten.
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Post  mara thon Sun 3 Jul - 18:23

So sad that the boy was killed, to be the parent of a soldier is a scary thing. My son was badly injured during a tour of duty in NI and I know what the families of soldiers go through. However I think this boy's family have done a wonderful thing and I am quite sure their son would be very very proud of them. I hope the dog has a happy life from now on.

Re quarantine laws, I believe they are changing, not before time either.


http://www.swellpets.co.uk/news/800609195/pet-quarantine-rules-relaxed-in-eu
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Post  wjk Sun 3 Jul - 22:16

I'm sorry to hear of your son, mara. I hope he's fit and well now. Family of killed Para bring his pet dog home from Afghanistan Icon_flower
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Post  mara thon Sun 3 Jul - 22:32

Thank you wjk but yes he is fine now. He had almost a year in hospital after the event, he's had numerous operations on his leg in Ireland, UK and Germany, it was a long road back but he is just fine now. It finished his army career though after 12 years, which I was grateful for but he wasn't. He is doing a job he loves now so all is well. I truly feel for the families of all military personnel but grateful it is one worry less for me.
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Post  wjk Sun 3 Jul - 23:34

Glad he's well now, mara. It must be a real strain on you as the mum of a service man.
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Post  halfamo Thu 7 Jul - 15:50

What a lovely story , i,m waiting to move back to UK i know i,m crazy , but having to wait for my lovely cat to wait her 6mths out so we can travel with her .Now i find after all the expense they have had to come in line with other EU countries and from Jan 1st 2012 its microchip one anti rabies and 21 days wait only.
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