From War Dogs to Service Dogs: The Retirement and Adoption of Military Working Dogs
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FROM WAR DOGS TO SERVICE DOGS:
THE RETIREMENT AND ADOPTION OF
MILITARY WORKING DOGS]
By
Mackenzie Landa*
Military Working Dogs (MWD) are canine service members that pro-
vide safety, comfort, love, and sometimes their lives to their human team-
mates. Soldiers rely on these dogs for companionship, support, and
protection. However, handler dog teams are often separated when human
soldiers return home from deployment. The dogs, classified as property by
the Department of Defense, remain overseas and work until they are no
longer useful to the military. Once the military decides a MWD is unable to
serve, the dog is often left abroad unless a handler or nonprofit organization
can fund the dog's transport back to the United States.
This separation is damaging to both human and canine. When human
soldiers returning home from war are unable to remain with their MWD
partner, it takes a toll on their health and emotional well-being. Moreover,
leaving dogs overseas is an injustice to the dogs who involuntarily serve
their country with bravery and loyalty.
Although lawmakers have achieved some legislative success to ensure
that MWDs are no longer left behind and handlers are given the opportunity
to adopt their dogs, there are gaps in the policy and there has been a signifi-
cant failure to properly implement the legislation. This paper argues that it
is necessary to amend military policy to ensure that dog and handler teams
remain intact and each handler is given the opportunity to adopt his or her
MWD.
I. INTRODUCTION ......................................... 40
A . Satan ................................................ 40
B. Leaving No Man Behind ............................ 41
II. A BRIEF HISTORY OF DOGS IN WAR ................... 42
1 To be clear, the author of this paper realizes the moral and ethical problems in
using nonhuman animals who are unable to consent to participating in warfare for
labor in military operations and does not consent to their exploitation for this purpose.
However, that debate goes beyond the scope of this paper. This paper merely addresses
the ethical implications of the way the Department of Defense manages the retirement
of Military Working Dogs.
* @ Mackenzie Lee Landa is a congressional staffer where she focuses on animal
welfare, wildlife conservation, environmental, and energy issues. Ms. Landa formerly
served as a criminal prosecutor and previously worked with organizations such as the
Foundation to Support Animal Protection, Earthjustice, and Meyer Glitzenstein & Eu-
banks. She holds a B.A. in Philosophy and Political Science from Emory University; a
J.D. from Florida State University College of Law; and an LL.M. in Environmental Law
from Vermont Law School.
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From War Dogs to Service Dogs: The Retirement and Adoption of Military Working Dogs
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