Puppy love eases the pain

Not everyone can agree on the war in Iraq. Many are divided over why we went, what it will accomplish and how it all should end.

But most folks can see eye to eye on one seemingly universal and timeless truth – what it means to love a dog and be loved in return.

Those were the kinds of people who gave Rinda Pope a standing ovation Friday night at the Placer SPCA banquet.

The mother of a young soldier killed last year in Iraq, Pope was the recipient of a "hero" award for bringing home the lone surviving puppy of a stray dog her son had befriended in Iraq.

Maybe those who cheered understood just what would happen in the days and years to come at Pope's home on a half-acre in Orangevale, how one hapless puppy given the gift of a better life would try and try to give back.

Pope was working in the backyard garden last May 19 when two Army notification officers rang her doorbell. It was the kind of moment that needed no explanation.

"When I saw the uniforms, I knew what it was," Pope said softly. "I just believed he was coming home. Sometimes I still do."

In one small way, Alejandro "Alex" Varela has come home, alive in the wagging tail and cold, wet nose of D.J. She's the energetic mixed-breed dog whisked away from Iraq and transported to California thanks to Varela's Army platoon.

Varela, 19, was one of six U.S. soldiers killed when a large bomb struck the Bradley armored personnel carrier he was driving.

"Alex was proud of what he was doing. The guys banded into a band of brothers," Pope said. "They would die for each other, and it really hit all of his platoon hard when they saw what happened that day."

Outgoing and bustling with energy, Varela enjoyed a variety of activities, from paintball games to driving four-wheelers in the woods. On his MySpace page, he lists Tom Clancy as his favorite writer and Batman as his hero.

On Nov. 1, more than five months after the deadly explosion, the dog Varela had befriended had puppies. Only one survived.

"It's kind of brutal over there. The dogs eat scraps of food and drink sewer water," Pope said. "I guess the other dogs were jealous and dragged the puppies off."

When she learned about the lone puppy, Pope decided to try to bring it home as a way to honor her late son and connect with a part of the life he knew in Baghdad. She knew Alex had always loved dogs and she remembered how it made her feel when she saw a photo on his MySpace page of him holding a young Iraqi dog.

Thanks to the efforts of Varela's platoon and a private air transport company, D.J. landed on American soil Jan. 3 and soon made it to Orangevale. Varela was an infantryman with the 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division.

A visit Saturday morning to Pope's home on a half-acre lot found 5-month-old D.J. wagging and shaking and spinning through the house, chewing on toys that squeaked and still not grasping this new concept of where exactly she should pee and not pee.

"I've been steam-cleaning the carpet nearly every day," Pope said with a smile.

Bark Busters, an international dog training company, donated free training lessons. Everyone wants the relationship to work, especially Varela's fellow soldiers in Baghdad.

Corp. Matt Alford, a friend of Varela's who witnessed the May 19 explosion from a trailing Bradley, said D.J. has helped everyone through the grieving process. Alford, 24, and Pope have become friends since her son went to war.

"The whole thing of doing something for her was the whole platoon's idea," said Alford, who grew up in Chowchilla near Fresno and is stationed at Fort Hood, Texas. "We knew Alex was very fond of the dogs we had there. If something as small as that could put a smile on her face and make her think of her son when she looked at the dog, it would make us all feel good."

Alford recently visited Pope in Orangevale and witnessed the magic of D.J.'s exuberance.

"Just the look on her face when I saw the dog in her arms made it all worth it," he said.

Said Pope of her son's platoon members: "I'm proud of our guys over there. Out of love for my son and respect and love for me, they did this out of the kindness of their hearts. I'm part of a big Army family and they continue to check on my welfare."

Reminders of her late son are everywhere at the Orange-vale home – photos of Alex in fatigues, his dog tags around his mother's neck, his Bronze Star and Purple Heart displayed on a side table in the dining room.

D.J. is still struggling with house training and she barks too much at the neighbors. But she walks like a star student on a leash and, little by little, is learning not to jump up on everyone and everything.

Most of all, she is finding her footing in her most important and timeless task, brightening the dark days of a mother in mourning.

"There's still a sadness. The dog doesn't fulfill all of that, but it helps a bit," Pope said, her voice trailing off.

Moments later, D.J. was giving it her best shot nonetheless, wagging her tail, licking her master's chin and nibbling on her nose until Pope shrieked and giggled.

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