Working & Sport Dogs
A group dedicated to members who are interested in, or actively participating in, sports and... View more
Organizers:
- Organized by
-
-
No Dog Left Behind?
-
No Dog Left Behind?
As a proud owner of a 1yr. old high-drive Belgian Malinois, I was shocked and saddened to hear about the some 300 military dogs that were left behind in Afghanistan by the US military. The culture that they were abandoned into sees dogs as impure animals and it is highly likely most of the dogs will be killed and will suffer mistreatment. If I, or anyone else in the US, were to treat our dogs like the military, we would be fined and charged with cruelty. Here is the question, is the US military being cruel to the dogs that served them and should they face consequences for this cruelty? I believe it’s time breeders of working dogs should consider no longer supplying the US military with anymore dogs. Also, I believe the US Congress should consider banning the inhumane use of working dogs within the US Armed Forces, and at least do a full-scale investigation into all present and past use of dogs in the military. The military cannot get a pass for the mistreatment of dogs. Please don’t make this a political discussion. This is about waking up to the fact that dogs are being mistreated by the military. Is there a limit to how extreme the work can be, for our wonderful working dogs?
-
6 Replies
-
It is sad situation all around. Abandoning is the worst, and like Robert says, there should be a special place in hell for those people. I remember listening to “No Ordinary Dog” on Audible. I’m not sure what the right solution is.
-
Congratulations on being a fellow owner of a Maligator! I can certainly understand your outrage after seeing the viral pictures of the dogs in the crates in Afghanistan. My name is Jeff, I live in Texas (not too far from Joint Base Lackland in San Antonio) which is the starting point of almost “all” Military Working Dogs! If I may allow me to share some additional information. Personally, I have been involved in owning, raising (not breeding), training, competing, and rescuing working dogs for over forty years. First beginning in 1980 with German Sheperds. Then for the last twenty years or so with Malinois. I have personally, raised, trained, rescued, rehabilitated, and rehomed over fifteen Malinuts! I am very familiar with the United States Military’s Working Dog Program. First almost all of the dogs the military uses are bred from Military breeding stock at Lackland and trained there. There are Tier-One and a few Tier-Two Units that go on buying trips to the Netherlands and resource trained adult dogs, but on a whole, the numbers are very few!
The Military has very, very strict rules about breeding, puppy raising (they are sent to local area families to live and be socialized) before returning to Lackland for training. There is equally strict use about the use, handling, and care of these dogs. When they are injured or retired they are almost always adopted by previous handlers and a few go-to private adopters that are fully vetted. By law and military regulation a United States Military Working Dog, cannot be abused, abandoned, or destroyed! I feel very confident Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, made sure that all his soldiers and all of his (The United States MWDs) had made it on to the C-17 Globemaster III before he stepped into the aircraft. General Donahue’s most recent assignments include Director of Operations, for JSOC (Joint Special Forces Command) and it is widely held that he also served as the commander for the Army’s 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment – Delta (the Army’s Tier-1 Unit). Trust me he is personally and intimately aware of these dogs, their value, and his responsibility to care and provide for them in every way! Now let’s talk about a slightly different class of dog that is used in a slightly different but no less important job. “CWD” (or Contract Working Dogs) are dogs owned and utilized by Private Contractors for security and other tasks outside the military! These dogs number in the hundreds in Afghanistan and unfortunately do not fall under the rules or control of our military and in most instances not even our goverment. Remember there are a lot of different militaries and governments in Afghanistan and other places around the world. It is widely known that these dogs are procured outside of the military channels and when the contracts are up, they are often abandoned in their country of service. Fortunately, there are organizations that work diligently to rescue these dogs, bring them to the United States (even if they didn’t come from here! These organizations work hard and spend hundreds of thousands of dollars annually to rescue, transport, rehabilitate and rehome these dogs. I hope this information helps. I am going to include the links to several websites including the military’s main website for MWDs and to several rescue organizations. I encourage you to investigate and if you feel so led support them! Good luck with your Mal and remember, “If it didn’t require stitches, was it really a bite”!
Joint Base Lackland Canine Breeding, Puppy Foster, Training and Adoption Programs:
https://www.37trw.af.mil/Units/37th-Training-Group/341st-Training-Squadron/
Malffunctions: (MWD, disqualified adoption program)
Warrior Dog Foundation: (If you still have any concerns, reach out to Mike Ritland a well respected and former Navy SEAL Dog Handler and Trainer)
https://warriordogfoundation.org
Mission K9 Rescue (they folks are very well known, vetted, and do a great job rescuing both MWD and CWD k9s)
Lastly here is a picture of my current rescued working dog, Tsoma!
-
Thank you for your response, but the military has the ability to set the rules for contractors that work with the military. The use of contractors for all the jobs which in the past were 100% done by the military, is not just to save money (in some cases) but also absolves the military from the responsibility and liability for these contract jobs.
-
-
Robert just released a YouTube/Podacast interview with Will Chesney the handler of Cairo, the dog of Bin Laden fame and also the author of the “No Ordinary Dog” book/audiobook that I had mentioned earlier. Towards the end of the interview they mention a couple of charities focused on veteran dog needs. I just put in a monthly donation via PayPal to https://warriordogfoundation.org — I think from a pragmatic perspective this is one of the best things a normal person can do to manage the issue and improve the life of former combat dogs.
-
Just a friendly FYI, most if not all of the current or recent K9 contractors in Afghanistan, do not work for the United States Military or even the United States Goverment. It sucks, I know, suggest if you want to help you support or get involved with Missin K( Rescue they do a lot of rescues and good work with and for CWD!
-
Warrior Dog Foundation, Mike Ritland’s outfit is a great group for former MWD!
Log in to reply.