DOGS OF THE COLD WAR
(AND PEACE)
As we celebrate the nation's 250 years of history, Paws of War highlights the essential roles dogs played in defending America during the perilous era when the threat of nuclear war with the Soviet Union imperiled the world's very existence.
At our overseas bases and on the home front, dogs played a key role in protecting America. Thousands of sentry dogs were put to work by the U.S. Air Force guarding nuclear missile silos, bomber flight lines, and Strategic Air Command bases. Air Commando Dogs (German Shepherds and Dobermans) served a psychological and physical deterrent role in classified military zones. Trained to detect and attack intruders, they kept Air Force personnel and weaponry safe from espionage and sabotage.
While these dogs were trained for war, one particular dog played a part in keeping the peace. The Soviets had sent a dog named Strelka into Earth orbit before the start of manned space exploration. After returning safely, she gave birth to a litter of pups, and Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev gifted one, Pushinka, to President John F. Kennedy in 1961.
The puppy was suspected by the CIA of being a spy, thinking she might have had listening devices implanted within her. Their fears were unfounded, and the dog became a much-loved pet in the White House. She mated with Kennedy's dog Charlie, and the litter they produced was called the "pupniks" by Kennedy (a play on the Sputnik rocket that had carried Pushinka's mother into space).
Historians have speculated that the pupniks, as Kennedy referred to the litter, helped humanize the relationship between the two adversarial leaders.
Recognizing that the dog brings out the best in humans is something Paws of War has known since our inception. The story of Khrushchev, Kennedy, and canines is reminiscent of the Revolutionary War story of George Washington coming into possession of British General Howe's dog and returning it.
In times of war, as well as peace, their contributions are what inspires Paws of War to constantly expand our mission of supporting them and those men and women in uniform they so faithfully serve.
