THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, September 1, 1994 TAG: 9409010547
SECTION: FRONT PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: By PATRICK K. LACKEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
The Air Force provided the big-bellied C-130 cargo plane, the Navy offered Norfolk Naval Air Station, and the Army supplied the veterinarians.
Together Wednesday, they got the first 15 pets successfully evacuated to Norfolk from the U.S. Naval Base at Guantanamo, Cuba - with roughly 345 more to follow by Sept. 8.
Painted on the side of the gray pet plane were the large white letters: NOAH'S ARK.
Beauty, Bentley, Bo, Booger, Brandy and the other pets deplaned bright-eyed at noon. Also aboard was a load of luggage for the human evacuees, including the pets' owners, who would land about three hours later.
The Army provided two veterinarians and about as many vet techs as pets. Besides companionship, the dogs had everything they would ever need except grass to go on. There was a fire hydrant, rising from the surrounding Tarmac.
For the sake of the humans jerked from homes at Guantanamo to often uncertain futures, the transfer of their pets was made as smooth as possible.
One of the vets, Maj. Willie Crosby of Virginia Beach, said: ``We really feel that the measure of the success of this exercise might relate to how well the animals are treated. We have come to realize pets and humans are bonded as well as humans and their children. These animals are members of the families.''
Two Army veterinarians at Guantanamo checked the pets Tuesday night and issued health certificates.
Army Sgt. David Bartholomew, a vet tech stationed in Cuba, flew up with the pets, who were in travel crates.
``We had a small puppy get a little carsick,'' he said. Otherwise, the trip was uneventful.
More than 1,100 cats and dogs are registered at Guantanamo, he said, but not all will be evacuated.
When the pets' owners arrived about 3 p.m., most went directly from their jet to the pets in crates in one corner of a large hangar.
Corene Lewis, 12, of Gulfport, Miss., picked up her 5 1/2-month-old kitten, named Kitty. ``I am really glad,'' she said, ``because I missed her.'' Her father said she had spent $170 of her baby-sitting money on the cat, including vet bills.
About a dozen photographers and cameramen focused their attention on Holly Dorton, a pretty 17-year-old, when she picked up her cat, Booger.
Maj. Crosby, the veterinarian, pronounced the day a success.
``If it goes this well every day,'' he said, ``this will be so beautiful.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MATOYA NAKAMURA/Staff
A U.S. Army officer walks a dog that arrived at Norfolk Naval Base
on a flight from Guantanamo Bay Naval Base, Cuba.
KEYWORDS: PETS GUANTANAMO BAY CUBA EVACUATION by CNB