Canine Soldiers Film Producer, Marine Corps Combat Vet and His Military Working Dog

To Highlight Hartsdale Pet Cemetery's War Dog Memorial Celebration Sunday

  The historic Hartsdale Pet Cemetery will hold its most poignant annual War Dog Memorial Celebration ever on Sunday,  at 1 pm when Marine Corps combat-veteran Matthew Plumeri shares the stage and discusses his indescribable bond with his partner Gulliver, an 11-year old Visla, a military working dog who was at his side during their deployment  in the most dangerous area of the most dangerous province in Afghanistan.  The public is invited.

            Another keynote speaker is Nancy Schiesari, a director and producer, whose latest full-length documentary, Canine Soldiers, The Militarization of Love, explores the intimate bond between military working dogs (MWDs) and their handlers, combat soldiers who make life-and-death decisions based on the instincts of the dogs who lead their patrols.  In recent wars, two out of three American deaths are caused by Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).  The film will air on PBS.

            Schiesari, a professor at the University of Texas, will discuss how military WMDs are bred, how their relationships with their handlers develop, and what it's like to live in interdependence on the war front.  One trainer remarked, "These soldiers don't have battle buddies to the right and left of them like a regular line soldier.  Their only battle buddy is that dog.  They literally place their lives in the nose of that dog."

            "I have no doubt that this will be our most poignant War Dog Memorial celebration ever," said Edward C. Martin, Jr., director of the cemetery.  "Matthew Plumeri will be bringing his dog Gulliver with him.  Matthew overcame many obstacles in the process of adopting Gulliver.  Both Matthew and Nancy will participate in a wreath laying ceremony at the foot of the cemetery's famous War Dog Memorial that was built in1923 with donations from dog lovers for man's most faithful friend."

            The cemetery, www.petcem.com, is located at 75 Central Park Avenue in Hartsdale, NY. Also featured will be a Pet Adoption Fair throughout the day sponsored by the volunteers of the Shelter Pet Alliance.

            Hartsdale Pet Cemetery's 28th annual memorial service is in tribute to the thousands of American canines who served in battle-scarred places from Bastogne foxholes to Vietnam jungles to 9/11's rubble and to all pets that serve humanity including Seeing Eye dogs, and therapy and police and fire dogs. 

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