Posted on 03/28/2026 2:59:23 PM PDT by E. Pluribus Unum
A 42-page Department of Defense Inspector General’s (DOD IG) report published Feb. 17 evaluated the federal government’s management of canine warfare, finding that widespread neglect of military working dogs (MWDs) on U.S. bases has resulted in disease outbreaks, exposure to toxic mold, and multiple deaths linked to inadequate housing.
Some findings reported by the DOD IG include the following:
“This is a DOD-level IG, so that's about as bad as it gets,” Col. Tom Pool (ret.), a veterinarian and former chief of the U.S. Army Veterinary Command, told Military.com. “I've seen general officers fired for single findings on DOD IGs. These are bad.”
'Troubling' Findings
The report, titled “Evaluation of the DoD Military Working Dog Program’s Management of Canine Welfare,” sought to determine whether the U.S. Air Force—the DoD executive agent for the MWD program—and other oversight agencies “are providing DoD MWDs with a high standard of canine welfare.”
A DOD MWD displays stress behaviors with its water bucket. (DOD IG report)
It's very troubling, certainly. I'm angry that the dogs were not being better cared for. I don't think it was this bad when I was in. Things have slipped. - Tom Pool to Military.com
“I understand the challenges these people are under. You have budgets and all of these things that you have to meet and everyone is pressuring you for their particular thing in...
(Excerpt) Read more at military.com ...
The military should be about the easiest place to fix problems of anywhere when it comes to something like this, if inspections were serious and meant something, and if officers and NCOs were dealt with if they can’t do the job.
Sounds like the US Congress has been in control of the military K-9 units
It costs MONEY to properly take care of dogs. How is the military supposed to come up with the money, when they’re busy retrofitting submarine bathrooms for trannies?
Pool, a senior veterinarian with Animal Wellness Action the past four years, said that to the Pentagon’s credit, bigger budgets were devoted towards military dogs in the 2025 fiscal year budget and before this report was published.
“So, they were already on it before this report came out—I think, I want to believe that,” he said.
But under Biden.........................
DEI related pre Trump........................
Why should dogs be exempt from government ineptness.
This is inexcusable.
It top local commanders have no special regard for the military working dogs, and do not treat then with the same concern of care as the soldiers, then they are likely to let standards under their command slip.
Dog-hating Muslims in the chain of command?
The majority of people like, if not love, dogs. I would think dog lovers would gravitate to the dogs and ensure they were cared for.
I would have volunteered for this duty and I would think many others would too.
Give them a room in the barracks. Soldiers love them. The more the merrier.
Out of ALL active duty service members they couldn’t find any dog owners to care for military dogs?
Sounds like base housing on some installations.
I was thinking about the same thing, the handlers would not allow this abuse to happen, they would spend their own money and time to correct it. Makes me think there is more to the story.
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