Wednesday, July 04, 2012

Combat dogs

The office had CNN on with a story about a move to try to bring dogs back from Afghanistan when they retire. Dogs, you see, are classified as "equipment" and typically left behind. CNN included an interview with some legislator who had a plan that seemed to involve some kind of privately funded way to bring the dogs back.

I'd have thought the issue was easier than that. The military invests a lot in morale, and you'd think it a no-brainer that morale for people working with the dogs would be higher if they knew their companions would be able to come home too. It seems like a cheap investment; a couple grand for the trip and maybe a little more for the paperwork to connect them with homes. Medical issues are another matter, though.

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2 comments:

  1. Mark Reiff6:53 AM

    The biggest issue is actually liability. Many working dogs get a taste for blood after a few live bites. So if they are brought back to the states and bite someone later, the government could be held liable. So, many never make it home.

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  2. james6:48 PM

    I hadn't thought of that. I'd thought they were mostly guard/warning dogs, but if they're used for enforcement that could be a problem.

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