Military dogs get their own “Walter Reed”
By Christie Keith
October 22, 2008
Dogs working with the military in Iraq or Afghanistan get wounded just like their human partners do. And until recently, the facility where they were treated and, when possible, rehabilitated, was cramped and outdated. Things only got worse after 9/11, when the demand for trained army dogs vastly outstripped the supply.
All that’s changed now, with the opening of a $15 million veterinary hospital at Lackland Air Force Base in Texas, designed specifically to give wounded or sick military dogs the best possible care:
Dogs injured in Iraq or Afghanistan get emergency medical treatment on the battlefield and are flown to Germany for care. If necessary, they’ll fly on to San Antonio for more advanced treatment — much like wounded human personnel.
“We act as the Walter Reed of the veterinary world,” said Army Col. Bob Vogelsang, hospital director, referring to the Washington military medical center that treats troops returning severely wounded from Iraq and Afghanistan.
To treat the trainees and injured working dogs, the new hospital has operating rooms, digital radiography, CT scanning equipment, an intensive care unit and rehab rooms with an underwater treadmill and exercise balls, among other features. A behavioral specialist has an office near the lobby.
“This investment made sense … and somehow, we were able to convince others,” said retired Col. Larry Carpenter, who first heard complaints about the poor facilities in 1994 and later helped to launch the project.
What about dogs too old or injured to return to duty? Vogelsang told the Associated Press that the Army tries to get them into an adopted home and “station them at Fort Living Room.”
The Army’s also using the new facility to fill that shortfall of trained military dogs. They’ve both breeding and training German Shepherds, Labrador Retrievers and Belgian Malinoises. There are around 750 dogs currently going through the program, around double the numbers pre-9/11.
Full story, and a photo gallery, here.
Great post. So glad to hear that these hard-working dogs are getting the care they deserve.
…but isn’t the plural of Malinois - well, Malinois?
Comment by Janeen — October 22, 2008 @ 12:32 pm
Janeen, Webster says yes, Encarta says no, and I just went with what was in the article… and my understanding of the rules of French, would say “Malinoises” as a plural.
I’m very willing to be corrected if someone has a definitive authority on this!
Comment by Christie Keith — October 22, 2008 @ 1:50 pm
…and the difference in pronunciation would be like going from ‘mali-nwa’ to ‘mali-nwaz’. ;-)
Comment by Marjorie — October 22, 2008 @ 2:49 pm
I’m certainly not an expert - but I’ve been to a lot of shows, trials and other events where the breed is popular and have only seen the non-es form. That’s why it struck me.
Of course here, the word - like many others,would be Americanized, so ‘correct’ French may not apply.
Or it might.
Comment by Janeen — October 22, 2008 @ 4:54 pm
Nice to see that resources are finally being put into this important function.
Not to forget that it wasn’t until the Clinton Administration that military dogs got any kind of retirement. It took an Act of Congress to drag the Pentagon kicking and screaming into the Universe of People Who are Not Total Shits. Former handlers begged to be able to adopt their aged/injured partners, but the dogs were all killed at the end of their “usefulness.”
Back in the 40’s, Dogs for Defense was able to repatriate and return to civilian life almost every dog that survived the war. For fifty years after that we had “progress.”
Comment by H. Houlahan — October 23, 2008 @ 5:04 pm