Military Working Dogs participate in hoist training at Soto Cano Air Base, Honduras on December 14, 2022. MWD's must have the same capability to ascend and descend from helicopters as their handlers in case of an emergency. (Air Force photo taken by Staff Sgt. Jaylen Molden) The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
By: FEDweek StaffThe Defense Department has launched a registry for military working dogs, which will keep track of morbidity and mortality when these animals are deployed. The registry intends to monitor “military working dog casualty care epidemiology, treatment, diagnostics, and outcomes from point of injury through recovery,” said Army Lt. Col. (Dr.) Sarah Cooper, chief of animal medicine at the Defense Health Agency Veterinary Service Division.
While more than 4,000 military working dogs have been injured in combat during the past 20 years, there heretofore had been no database outlining what types of medical treatment they received.
The Army’s veterinary corps began keeping track of such information in 2017. A provision in the 2022 defense-spending bill enhanced and expanded the Army initiative. Researchers hope to learn more about how to care for combat-injured dogs, and perhaps develop protective gear to minimize the harm they are subjected to.
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