An animal caretaker makes her rounds in the military working dog kennels at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, in this undated photo. (Sarayuth Pinthong/U.S. Air Force)
At least four military working dogs died after being housed in kennels that a recent Defense Department inspector general report called unsatisfactory.
IG investigators visited a dozen military kennels across the U.S. and assessed 10 of them as substandard. The report cited problems such as overexposure to extreme heat, caregiver inattentiveness and aging facilities.
Between 2021 and 2023, there were four fatalities as a result of the dogs’ stay in one of those 10 kennels, the IG said in the report, which was issued Feb. 17.
Service officials told investigators that the poor conditions stemmed from command decisions to prioritize other mission requirements over renovating existing kennels or building new facilities.
Part of the review keyed in on military dogs in nontraining status, meaning they were either in initial training, awaiting an assignment or under some type of assessment.
That focus was chosen because dogs in an operational environment generally receive more stimulation, the report said.
Dogs under the purview of the Air Force’s 341st Training Squadron experienced higher rates of diseases, injuries and behavioral problems than those in operations units, the IG said in a report released earlier this month.
A military working dog sits in its kennel at MacDill Air Force Base, Fla., on May 11, 2022. (Joshua Hastings/U.S. Air Force)
The Air Force is the executive agent for the Pentagon’s working dog program.
Because of understaffing, some dogs received only a few 10-minute walks per week rather than the five hours of daily physical and mental activity required by regulations, the report said.
German shepherds and Belgian Malinois are the most common breeds in the ranks of military working dogs, which help in activities ranging from explosive detection, drug discovery and search-and-rescue operations.
Multiple service components failed to consistently protect dogs from extreme weather conditions and kennel mold issues, the report said. Managing quarantine and isolation areas in the kennels also was problematic, according to the IG.
During an August 2024 visit to the 341st Training Squadron’s facilities at Joint Base San Antonio-Lackland in Texas, investigators said they saw signs of dogs under stress.
Among the troubling behaviors they saw were continuous spinning, jumping, chewing on metal water buckets and “excessive vocalization.” They also found signs of heat stress, the report said.
The IG recommended that the Air Force coordinate with the other services on a plan to upgrade kennel facilities to meet current DOD standards.
The Air Force agreed with the recommendation and said steps were being taken to address the issues.
In addition, the Air Force should reduce the number of military working dogs in nontraining status until enough caretakers are in place, the IG recommended.
Air Force officials responded that efforts are underway to fix the staff shortages.
