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Dogs have been used by the U.S. military dating back to the Civil War, said Gail Snyder,
executive director of U.S. War Dogs Association, Chapter 1.
"The public wasn't aware of the impact on war dogs when there are government
cutbacks," said Snyder of how her organization got started.
During World War I and II, people donated family pets for the war effort. The surviving
dogs were returned home, she said. "Vietnam changed everything." The military
deployed 10,000 war dogs. They had the title of equipment.
"What the military does with equipment is they leave it behind," she said. "None came
home. They were euthanized or turned over to the South Vietnamese government. It did
not sit well with the handlers."
Eventually legislation was passed that requires military dogs to come home, she said,
and was signed by President Bill Clinton. Since then, retiring military dogs are put up for
adoption. "Primarily we try to get them adopted by a handler." A link to the application is
on their website at http://chapter1.uswardogs.org.
Approximately 5,000 dogs are presently deployed, she said. "These are dual-purpose
dogs — trained for scent and protection." They sniff out opium, bombs and land mines.
Conservative estimates are that each dog likely saves a minimum of 150 lives.
Because they are so useful "dogs remain the key target of the enemy," she said.
Dogs can be deployed six, seven or eight times, she said. By the time they return to the
United States, "they come home old. They don't come home with their handler" because
handlers typically come stateside after a year of service.
While deployed in the Middle East, the dogs are dealing with intense heat of 130 to 140
degrees F, she said. As a result, a lot of them may have health issues such as seizures.
They are returned through Lackland Air Force Base, where they are deprogrammed, and
adopted out.
"We're all volunteers," said Snyder. "We're 100 percent volunteer. And 100 percent of
donations go to our military dogs."
The group wants to raise awareness about the K9 troops and it organizes sending K9
care packages that contain goggles, protective boots and vests, and emergency medical
equipment and medicines.
The dogs and handlers are "out in nowhere with nothing," she said. Last year, they
shipped 3,500 boxes, she said. "That's a lot. I think it makes a difference."
Some of the saddest days are when a box comes back, she said. "That means the team
has been killed. That is not a good feeling when you see that."
Beckstrom will be showing a film clip from a current military war dog film, "Always
Faithful," at Friday night's Spaghetti Feed. "I think I probably should buy lots of boxes of
Kleenex," she said. ... "These dogs ... are just amazing."
Veteran Dogs Suffering from PTSD............
This is an extract from the US Military War Dogs Association Newsletter by Joe Wlikes.
Dogs have been increasingly used in military conflicts. Because of their sensitive noses, they have become the best line of defense against improvised explosive devices (I.E.D.'s), as most of these roadside bombs use chemical explosives, unfound by metal detectors, the previous standard in bomb detection. Special forces dogs such as the ones that contributed to the killing of Osama Bin Laden have also become critical operational elements.
Whether the dogs have been used in specialized operations or as traditional guard dogs, they have been subjected to the same traumatic events as any soldier and bear the emotional scars upon returning home from their mission. Unlike humans, they can't speak to what they have witnessed, and so must be treated with special care and intuition to what they have been through.
Veterinarians gauge how the dogs respond to loud noises such as gunfire or whether they react with aggression or fear to their handlers, who they may hold responsible for their introduction to a chaotic situation. The dog veterans may also hold aversions to the settings of the trauma, whether it be a vehicle or type of building. By ascertaining the cause of the trauma, the veterinarians can help desensitize the dog so the events, participants, or locations don't cause unnecessary reaction.
Many dogs also experience human-like long-term reactions such as anxiety and panic attacks..