Go where nobody else can
Show up, call, or visit in person. The manual's rule is simple: nobody is alone with it.
Field Manual No. 13
Bring Back the Cap: The Mercy Dog Detail
Companion to the Action Army Special Report "The Mercy Dogs" — a field guide to showing up for someone facing suspected financial fraud and taking the next steps together.
Inside the Manual
Nobody is alone with it.
Bring Back the Cap: The Mercy Dog Detail turns the Mercy Dogs' story into a practical reminder: go, carry, prove, stay. The manual helps readers recognize possible warning signs, offer calm and practical support, and work through reporting steps alongside the person affected.
It is not legal, financial, or medical advice. When someone is in immediate danger, call 911. For crisis or self-harm support in the United States, call or text 988 and stay with them.
One person this week. Do not bring advice. Bring water. Sit down.
The five rules
Go. Carry. Prove. Stay.
Watch the tells
Notice changes such as isolation, secrecy, unexplained transfers, or unpaid bills. A sign is a reason to check in, not a verdict.
Bring the bag
Bring water and time to sit together. Help with concrete next steps rather than a lecture.
Bring back the cap
With the person's involvement, contact the bank using a trusted number and save receipts, screenshots, and report numbers.
Stay
Offer to do the next hour together, keep a visit log, and come back.
Protect dignity
Do not shame, take away their phone or checkbook, or pay anyone promising to recover the money. The manual calls that “the second harvest.”
A Mercy Dog Detail field guide
What You'll Find Inside
- Start Here: the Mercy Dogs story and the one rule: nobody is alone with it.
- The Five Rules: go, tell, bring the bag, bring back the cap, and stay.
- The Tells: changes that can prompt a supportive check-in.
- The Bag: practical items and account-security steps to work through together.
- The Cap: details and records to save when reporting fraud.
- The Visit: supportive words, boundaries, and what not to say or do.
- Stay Log: a simple record of visits, help provided, and the next visit.
- The Other Dogs: ways to support street-dog volunteers and rescues.
- The Honest Page: historical claims and confidence levels.
- Marching Orders and Who to Call: one concrete visit, emergency contacts, and reporting resources.
Put it to work
Make one visit this week
Think of one person who may be dealing with a frightening situation alone. Set a day to visit, bring water, and ask to spend the next hour together. Listen without blame and let them stay in control of their phone, accounts, and decisions.
If they want help, use a trusted number from the back of their bank card to contact the bank or card company, save receipts and screenshots, and make reports at ReportFraud.ftc.gov and IC3.gov. Do not use a phone number or link supplied in a suspicious message.
If there is immediate danger, call 911. For crisis or self-harm support, call or text 988 and stay with the person.
Source text
Full Manual Text
The text below is transcribed from the supplied 12-page PDF. Page labels, headings, lists, and references are retained from the source.
JOHNNY ACTION FIGHTS BACK! FIELD MANUAL NO. 13 BRING BACK THE CAP THE MERCY DOG DETAIL COMPANION TO THE ACTION ARMY SPECIAL REPORT “THE MERCY DOGS” WHAT'S INSIDE 1 START HERE 2 THE FIVE RULES 3 THE TELLS 4 THE BAG 5 THE CAP 6 THE VISIT 7 STAY LOG 8 THE OTHER DOGS 9 THE HONEST PAGE 10 MARCHING ORDERS 11 WHO TO CALL START HERE — PAGE 2 OF 12 IN THE FIRST WORLD WAR, DOGS WENT OUT INTO THE DARK TO FIND WOUNDED MEN NOBODY ELSE COULD REACH. THEY CARRIED THE BAG. THEY DID NOT BARK. THEY BROUGHT BACK A CAP, AND IF THE MAN WAS PAST SAVING, ACCOUNTS SAY THEY STAYED. YOU ARE NOT A DOG. THE JOB IS THE SAME: GO, CARRY, PROVE, STAY. THE ONE RULE: NOBODY IS ALONE WITH IT. ☐ I KNOW ONE PERSON WHO MAY BE OUT THERE ALONE NAME: _________________________________________ WHY I THINK SO: ________________________________ THE FIVE RULES — PAGE 3 OF 12 NOISE IS FREE. THE CAP COSTS YOU THE WALK. 1. GO WHERE NOBODY ELSE CAN — SHOW UP. CALL. VISIT IN PERSON. 2. TELL WHO NEEDS TO FIND THE LIVING — WATCH THE TELLS. 3. BRING THE BAG — BRING REAL HELP, NOT A LECTURE. 4. DO NOT BARK. BRING BACK THE CAP — NO SHAME. COLLECT PROOF. REPORT. 5. STAY — SIT DOWN. COME BACK. THE TELLS — PAGE 4 OF 12 ☐ GOES QUIET: STOPS CALLING OR ANSWERING ☐ CHANGES THE SUBJECT WHEN MONEY COMES UP ☐ SUDDEN SECRECY ABOUT A PHONE OR COMPUTER ☐ GIFT CARDS, WIRES OR CRYPTO NOBODY CAN EXPLAIN ☐ A NEW “BEST FRIEND” OR “PARTNER” NEVER MET IN PERSON ☐ ASHAMED, DEFENSIVE OR SHORT-TEMPERED ABOUT IT ☐ PULLING AWAY FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS ☐ UNOPENED MAIL, UNPAID BILLS, ACCOUNTS NOBODY KNEW ABOUT 1 TELL: CALL TODAY. 3 OR MORE: VISIT IN PERSON THIS WEEK. ANY TALK OF SELF-HARM: CALL OR TEXT 988 AND STAY WITH THEM. IN DANGER NOW: 911. THE BAG — PAGE 5 OF 12 WHAT TO BRING. DO THE BORING PART BESIDE THEM. ☐ WATER. AT LEAST AN HOUR OF SIT-DOWN TIME ☐ THEIR BANK'S NUMBER FROM THE BACK OF THE CARD, NOT FROM A TEXT ☐ CREDIT FREEZE AT ALL THREE BUREAUS: EQUIFAX, EXPERIAN, TRANSUNION ☐ EMAIL PASSWORD CHANGED FIRST, THEN THE BANK ☐ TWO-STEP LOGIN TURNED ON ☐ A FAMILY PASSWORD YOU BOTH KNOW ☐ PEN, PAPER, PHONE CHARGER NEVER HAND THEM A LINK AND LEAVE. THE CAP — PAGE 6 OF 12 CALL THE BANK OR CARD COMPANY FIRST. THEN BRING BACK PROOF. DATE: __________________________________________ PHONE, SITE OR NAME USED: _______________________ NAME THEY GAVE: ________________________________ AMOUNT: ________________________________________ HOW PAID (CARD, WIRE, GIFT CARD, CRYPTO, CASH): _________________________________________________ ☐ SCREENSHOTS AND RECEIPTS SAVED ☐ REPORTED: REPORTFRAUD.FTC.GOV ☐ REPORTED: IC3.GOV REPORT NUMBERS: ________________________________ THE VISIT — PAGE 7 OF 12 SAY THREE SENTENCES: 1. YOU ARE NOT IN TROUBLE WITH ME. 2. I AM NOT GOING TO MAKE THIS WORSE. 3. LET'S DO THE NEXT HOUR TOGETHER. DO NOT SAY: HOW COULD YOU FALL FOR THAT? I TOLD YOU SO. DO NOT TAKE THEIR PHONE OR CHECKBOOK. DO NOT PAY ANYONE WHO OFFERS TO GET THE MONEY BACK. THAT IS THE SECOND HARVEST. STAY LOG — PAGE 8 OF 12 DATE | WHO | WHAT I BROUGHT | NEXT VISIT THE OTHER DOGS — PAGE 9 OF 12 THE STRAY IS THE WOUNDED ONE. NOBODY IS COMING FOR THAT ONE EITHER. THE ACTION ARMY SUPPORTS VOLUNTEERS IN MEXICO WHO FEED AND LOOK AFTER STRAY AND LONELY DOGS. SEE FIELD MANUALS NO. 11, 12 AND 13. ☐ FEED ONE STRAY, OR FILL ONE RESCUE'S SUPPLY LIST ☐ REPORT NEGLECT (FIELD MANUAL NO. 11) ☐ GIVE: JOHNNYACTIONARMY.COM ☐ OR CALL 855-88ACTION JOHNNY ACTION FIGHTS BACK IS NOT A NONPROFIT. GIFTS ARE NOT TAX DEDUCTIBLE. THE HONEST PAGE — PAGE 10 OF 12 CLAIM | RECORDS BEYOND NEWSPAPERS | A REAL LEDGER | A DOCUMENT | WHAT WOULD CHANGE IT | NEW ARCHIVES PROGRAMS EXISTED, AND ABOUT 95% OF DOGS FOUND WOUNDED MEN | MODERATE ONE DOG'S EXACT TALLY IS LOW (CAPTAIN: 30 IN A DAY, PRUSCO 100 IN A BATTLE) | REPORTED, UNDOCUMENTED. MERCY DOGS SAVED “THOUSANDS” | JA OPINION DOGS STAYED WITH THE DYING ESTIMATES: GERMANY HAD ABOUT 6,000 TRAINED DOGS AT THE OUTBREAK, USED ABOUT 30,000, AND LOST ABOUT 7,000. ALL SIDES, UPWARD OF 50,000. THEIR MEMORIAL IN LONDON ENDS: THEY HAD NO CHOICE. MARCHING ORDERS — PAGE 11 OF 12 ONE PERSON THIS WEEK. DO NOT BRING ADVICE. BRING WATER. SIT DOWN. WHO: ___________________________________________ DAY I WILL GO: __________________________________ WHAT I WILL BRING: _____________________________ HOUSE STANDARD: NOBODY IN MY CIRCLE IS ALONE WITH IT. SIGNED: _________________________________________ DATE: ___________________________________________ WHO TO CALL — PAGE 12 OF 12 DANGER NOW: 911 CRISIS OR SELF-HARM (CALL OR TEXT): 988 REPORT FRAUD: REPORTFRAUD.FTC.GOV REPORT INTERNET CRIME: IC3.GOV ACTION ARMY LINE: 855-88ACTION (855-882-2846) MAIL: PO BOX 3492, PALM BEACH, FL 33480 THIS IS A FREE ACTION ARMY MANUAL. IT IS NOT LEGAL, FINANCIAL, OR MEDICAL ADVICE. JOHNNY ACTION ACTION ARMY — FIELD MANUAL — A JOHNNY ACTION PRODUCTION
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