4 army working canine died due to “unsatisfactory kennel amenities,” Pentagon watchdog finds

4 army working canine died between the 2021 and 2023 fiscal years as a result of they had been housed and skilled in “growing old and unsatisfactory kennel amenities,” the Protection Division inspector common discovered, though the Air Drive disputes the deaths had been the results of neglect. 

An Air Drive spokesperson mentioned autopsies decided one of many canine died of extreme bronchopneumonia and three died on account of extraintestinal pathogenic Escherichia coli pneumonia. The autopsies didn’t attribute the deaths to neglect, the spokesperson mentioned. 

However the Air Drive concurs with the general suggestion within the report to extend the variety of caretakers for army working canine and to develop a plan to improve the entire kennel amenities. 

The inspector common in a report printed final week discovered the army working canine program didn’t constantly defend canine in non-training standing “from excessive climate circumstances and kennel mildew points, or handle quarantine and isolation areas.” 

Investigators visited 12 installations of various service branches with canine applications, together with North Carolina’s Fort Bragg, the place they discovered “mildew within the lighting fixtures, ceiling tiles, and tools room” of one of many buildings. One other constructing was closed due to mildew development. 

Along with the growing old amenities across the nation, investigators discovered a bunch of about 200 canine at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland, in Texas — the place all of the canine endure their preliminary coaching — didn’t obtain the required quantity of bodily or social exercise due to a caretaker scarcity. 

As an alternative of the 5 hours of bodily exercise, social, and cognitive enrichment which might be required for the canine every day, the report discovered the canine had been walked for about 10 minutes, 4 instances per week, or much less. 

The investigators centered on canine that had been in “non-training standing,” that means they aren’t awaiting deployment, have a medical disposition, or are in a rejected-from-training standing. 

Usually, the canine which might be in coaching standing obtain “enough” bodily and social exercise. On the time of the positioning go to, the unit had about 230 army canine that weren’t in coaching standing.

In complete, the Pentagon has over 2,200 Working Canine Groups throughout 182 areas worldwide and gives canine to businesses on the state and federal stage, the Air Drive spokesperson mentioned. 

The inspector common really helpful that the secretary of the Air Drive cut back the variety of canine on the coaching squadron till there are sufficient caretakers to offer ample care, and in addition mentioned a plan ought to be developed to improve the kennel amenities in order that they meet present Protection Division requirements. 

The canine at Joint Base San Antonio Lackland confirmed behaviors like “steady spinning, leaping, chewing on their metallic water buckets, and extreme vocalization,” based on investigators, that had been indicators of the dearth of bodily and social exercise. In addition they confirmed bodily indicators of warmth stress, “together with fast panting with enlarged tongues and ears swept again.”

The coaching squadron instructed investigators it lacked the manpower for the required 5 hours of bodily exercise however did attempt to present some enrichment by means of “inflatables, audio books, music, and scented bubble machines.” Investigators mentioned this was not enough. 

In response to the suggestions, the Air Drive assistant deputy chief of workers for logistics mentioned this system now’s permitting the coaching squadron to rent extra caretakers for the army working canine and would cut back the variety of canine in “non-training standing.”