The Plight Of War Dogs: Uncovering The Stories Of Canine Veterans Returning From Afghanistan

Military working dogs have played a crucial role in the US's 20-year war in Afghanistan, helping to detect explosives, find drugs, and track missing people. In the final days of the war, there was confusion and concern over the fate of these dogs, with viral images and reports suggesting that the US had abandoned its service dogs in Afghanistan. However, the Pentagon and the Department of Defense denied these claims, stating that all military working dogs were safely evacuated. The photos that circulated online were of animals under the care of Kabul Small Animal Rescue, an animal welfare group, and not dogs belonging to the US military. While the US prioritised the evacuation of citizens and vulnerable Afghans, the military did provide assistance to Kabul Small Animal Rescue, helping to relocate over 150 stray dogs to a safe area within the airport with food and water.

Viral posts on social media sparked concern about the fate of military dogs in Afghanistan

The Pentagon and the Department of Defense denied these claims, stating that no military working dogs were left behind at Hamid Karzai International Airport. They clarified that the photos circulating online depicted animals under the care of Kabul Small Animal Rescue, an animal welfare group, and not dogs belonging to the US military. The Defense Department cited custom regulations and health factors as obstacles to evacuating stray dogs from Afghanistan.

While the US military maintained that none of its military service dogs were left behind, animal welfare groups asserted that some contract working dogs, which were not owned by the US military but may have been contracted by them, were left at the Kabul airport. These contract working dogs perform similar roles as military working dogs, such as security and explosive device detection.

The fate of these contract working dogs remains unclear. Kabul Small Animal Rescue had been working to evacuate animals, including some contract working dogs, but their efforts were hindered by logistical challenges, such as arranging charter planes and finding third countries to allow the planes to land. The group expressed concern for the welfare of the dogs left behind, fearing that they could be subjected to torture and death.

The controversy surrounding the evacuation of military dogs from Afghanistan sparked strong emotions and criticism of the US government's handling of the situation. It also highlighted the dedication and importance of these canine companions in keeping troops safe and providing therapeutic support during times of war.

The Pentagon denied claims that military dogs were left behind at Hamid Karzai International Airport

In the final days of America's longest war, the Pentagon denied claims that it had left military dogs behind in Afghanistan. Viral images and reports suggested that the US had abandoned its service dogs. However, the Pentagon maintained that no military service dogs were left behind at Hamid Karzai International Airport.

The controversy arose after an image surfaced on social media, showing dogs in cages in front of a damaged helicopter. The photo was shared by Republican Rep. Madison Cawthorn on Instagram, with the caption, "Photo of our American service dogs left behind in the airport." Similar posts were shared on Facebook and Twitter, with captions suggesting that the animals had been abandoned by the US government. Donald Trump Jr. also shared the image, criticising the Biden administration for "abandoning hard-working service dogs".

In response to these claims, the Pentagon stated that the "U.S. military did not leave any dogs in cages at Hamid Karzai International Airport" and that the "priority mission was the evacuation of U.S. citizens, (special immigrant visas) and vulnerable Afghans". Eric Pahon, a spokesperson for the Defense Department, clarified that the photos circulating online were of animals under the care of the Kabul Small Animal Rescue, not the US military. He added that despite the challenging circumstances, US forces assisted the Kabul Small Animal Rescue as much as possible.

While the Pentagon denied abandoning any military service dogs, animal welfare groups claimed that some contract working dogs were left behind at the Kabul airport. These dogs were not owned by the US military but may have been contracted by them. Laura Sheehan, a spokeswoman for American Humane, an animal welfare group, stated that they had received reports from military personnel and contractors indicating that private charter planes for evacuating dogs were denied access to the airport by the military.

The controversy surrounding the evacuation of dogs from Afghanistan highlights the importance of animal welfare during military operations and the role that these animals play in supporting US troops.

The Kabul Small Animal Rescue was working to evacuate animals, including some dogs contracted to security services

The Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR) was founded in 2018 by Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, an American. In the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, the organisation was working to evacuate animals from the country. This included some dogs that had been contracted to security services in Kabul.

In the final days of the US presence in Afghanistan, social media posts and images circulated claiming that the US had abandoned military service dogs at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. These claims were disputed by the Pentagon, which said that no dogs, including military working dogs, had been left behind at the airport. The viral images, the Pentagon said, showed animals under the care of KSAR, not the US military.

KSAR was aiming to evacuate animals in the cargo hold of planes leaving Kabul. This effort, called "Operation Hercules", was crowdfunded. In the days leading up to the viral posts, KSAR had described the animals as “dogs and cats left behind as people flee” in Kabul, with no mention of them being service or military dogs.

On 31 August, SPCA International, of which KSAR is an affiliate, reported that Maxwell-Jones had rescued at least 130 animals, including 46 working dogs and several pets belonging to fleeing Americans, and was working with US forces to evacuate them from the country. However, most of the dogs had to be released into the airport as it was evacuated, and it was unclear whether the US military had evacuated the working dogs.

KSAR had arranged a chartered plane to rescue the animals, but it did not arrive, leaving no options for their evacuation. US soldiers worked through the night of 29-30 August to relocate the dogs to a former Afghan National Army compound on the airport grounds, with food and water. Before leaving Kabul, US soldiers showed Maxwell-Jones where the dogs had been released, and she indicated that she planned to return to the airport to get the dogs on a charter plane.

Maxwell-Jones said that of the 130 dogs left by the US, around 70 had been recovered, 20-30 had died, and the rest were in the hands of the Taliban. She said that the Taliban wanted to use the dogs for security but did not know how to handle them. Some of the dogs had been shot, and some had been found in the streets after breaking free.

The U.S. military did not permit dogs on evacuation flights due to regulations, but assisted the Kabul Small Animal Rescue

The U.S. military's priority was evacuating citizens, special immigrant visa holders, and vulnerable Afghans. However, they did provide assistance to Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR) in their efforts to evacuate animals from Afghanistan.

In the final days of America's longest war, viral images and reports circulated that the U.S. had abandoned its military dogs in Afghanistan. These images showed dogs in crates in front of a damaged helicopter at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. The Pentagon and Department of Defense denied these claims, stating that all U.S. military dogs were evacuated and that the photos were of animals under the care of KSAR, not the U.S. military.

While the U.S. military did not leave any dogs behind, they also did not permit dogs on evacuation flights due to regulations. However, they did assist KSAR in their evacuation efforts. According to a spokesperson for the U.S. Army, U.S. forces helped KSAR facilitate the evacuation of more than 150 stray Afghan dogs. They also helped relocate the dogs to a former Afghan National Army compound on the airport grounds with food and water.

KSAR had arranged a chartered plane to rescue the animals, but it never arrived. The U.S. military showed the owner/operator of KSAR, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, where they had released the dogs and she acknowledged that they had exercised the only option available. Maxwell-Jones indicated that she planned to return to the airport to gather the dogs and get them on a charter plane to take them to new homes outside of Afghanistan.

Animal welfare groups disputed the Pentagon's claims, saying some contract working dogs were left behind

As the US withdrawal from Afghanistan came to a close, viral images and reports circulated online claiming that the US had abandoned its military dogs in the country. The Pentagon denied these claims, stating that all US military dogs had been evacuated. However, animal welfare groups disputed the Pentagon's claims, saying that some contract working dogs, which did not belong to the US military but may have been contracted by them, were left behind at the Kabul airport.

One such group, American Humane, issued a statement saying that the "American government is pulling out of Kabul and leaving behind brave US military contract working dogs to be tortured and killed by our enemies." They argued that contract working dogs should be given the same rights and privileges as military working dogs. Laura Sheehan, a spokeswoman for American Humane, said that they had received reports from military personnel and contractors indicating that dogs were denied access to cargo storage at the airport and that private charter planes for evacuating dogs were also denied access.

Another animal welfare group, Kabul Small Animal Rescue (KSAR), was working to evacuate animals, including some dogs contracted with security services in Kabul. They had launched Operation Hercules to airlift animals out of the country. However, they faced challenges in evacuating all the animals, as some private charter planes did not arrive. KSAR's founder, Charlotte Maxwell-Jones, stayed in Kabul to try to get the remaining animals out.

The Pentagon denied that the animals left behind were ever in their care and stated that their priority mission was the evacuation of US citizens and vulnerable Afghans. They cited customs regulations as an obstacle to evacuating the animals.

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