U.S. Army says mishandled war dogs, will comply with call for reform

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

U.S. LEGAL NEWS MARCH 5, 2018 / 7:51 PM / UPDATED 5 HOURS AGO

U.S. Army says mishandled war dogs, will comply with call for reform

Scot Paltrow
3 MIN READ

(Reuters) - The U.S. Army confirmed on Monday that it had mishandled retired bomb-sniffing war dogs and said it would comply with recommendations in a Defense Department Inspector General’s report that called for reforms.

In a report released on Friday, the Inspector General said that canine heroes, which saved the lives of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan while working with brigade combat teams to sniff out roadside bombs, were mistreated by the Army after they returned to the United States.

Army spokesman Major Christopher Ophardt said in a statement emailed to Reuters, “The Army concurs with the DoDIG [cq] (Defense Inspector General) report and is complying with” its recommendations.

The report said that some dogs were left in kennels for up to 11 months, beyond a deadline for giving them away for adoption or re-using them in the military or other government agencies. It said they were mistreated through lack of care and attention, and others may have been put down.

Contrary to military rules, new owners were not screened before the Army allowed them to adopt the dogs. It said that some dogs with histories of biting were given to families with children, and others were given to owners who lacked the ability or resources to care for them.

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Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-defense-dogs/u-s-army-says-mishandled-war-dogs-will-comply-with-call-for-reform-idUSKBN1GI02E

[napi21]

1. I find it hard to believe the soldiers that worked with those dogs in the field let them be uncared

for. Soldiers form a very close bond with their dog. I'd be interested to know exactly how the soldier is separated from his/her dog and who decides the future of those dogs. Obviously they weren't taught that the service dogs ARE soldiers too and should treated the same as the human soldiers.