# The Dogs of War **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 6, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972 "2011-05-06T15:49:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 12\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/1 "2011-05-06T15:49:21Z")
I just read a short article about the dogs thatwere used in the raid on bin Laden’s compound: > **[New York Post](https://nypost.com/)** > > Your source for breaking news, news about New York, sports, business, entertainment, opinion, real estate, culture, fashion, and more. Im the article, it says that the dog’s handler’s keep the dog after discharge. In the past, military dogs were treated as excess weaponry, and at the end of their ‘stint’ were either euthanized or simply abandoned like any other weapon left behind. I certainly HOPE things have changed for these dogs who fight bravely beside their handlers but have no information. Do any of you know- what \*does \*happen to the dogs of war? Do they get a happy-ever-after or are they cast aside to fend for themselves or condemed to death? ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/2 "2011-05-06T19:02:50Z")
Wiki: [Dogs in warfare - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dogs_in_warfare) (in paragraph “Modern uses”) > [@](#): > > Change has also come in legislation for the benefit of the canines. Prior to 2000, older war dogs were required to be euthanized. Thanks to a new law, retired military dogs may now be adopted, the first of which was Lex, a working dog whose handler was killed in Iraq. This site [http://www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com/](http://www.militaryworkingdogadoptions.com/) says that the law in question was HR 5314, passed on November 6, 2000. The text says > [@](#): > > ``(b) Suitability for Adoption.–The decision whether a particular > military working dog is suitable or unsuitable for adoption under this > section shall be made by the commander of the last unit to which the dog > is assigned before being declared excess. The unit commander shall > consider the recommendations of the unit’s veterinarian in making the > decision regarding a dog’s adoptability. Here is the pdf link for HR 5314: [http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-106hr5314eh/pdf/BILLS-106hr5314eh.pdf](http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-106hr5314eh/pdf/BILLS-106hr5314eh.pdf) I can only speculate that dogs deemed unsuitable for adoption are still euthanised. ---
**Author:** ![Hermitian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hermitian/32/470_2.png) [@Hermitian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hermitian)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/3 "2011-05-06T20:59:13Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > In the past, military dogs were treated as excess weaponry, and at the end of their ‘stint’ were either euthanized or **simply abandoned like any other weapon left behind**. Do you have a cite for this? What does “abandoned” mean? I have a hard time believing they were just let out of their cages and allowed to roam around the military base free to start up wild dog packs. ---
**Author:** ![mlees](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ba8739/32.png) [@mlees](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mlees)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/4 "2011-05-06T21:30:28Z")
> [@Hermitian](#): > > Do you have a cite for this? What does “abandoned” mean? I have a hard time believing they were just let out of their cages and allowed to roam around the military base free to start up wild dog packs. From here: [Dogs in warfare - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dog) Is this passage: > [@wiki](#): > > 1966–1973: Approximately 5,000 US war dogs served in the Vietnam War (the US Army did not retain records prior to 1968); about 10,000 US servicemen served as dog-handlers during the war, and the K9 units are estimated to have saved over 10,000 human lives. 43 military working dogs and 73 US servicemen working as dog handlers were killed in action during the war. Only 200 Vietnam War dogs returned to the U.S. with their handlers; the rest were euthanized or left behind. It cites a CNN Special Report as a source: [http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-12/living/war.dogs\_1\_dogs-lab-and-shepherd-mix-viet-cong?\_s=PM:LIVING](http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-12/living/war.dogs_1_dogs-lab-and-shepherd-mix-viet-cong?_s=PM:LIVING) > [@CNN](#): > > The rest who had survived were either euthanized or turned over to the South Vietnamese – left behind, a surplus of war. ---
**Author:** ![GreasyJack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/df705f/32.png) [@GreasyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GreasyJack)\ **Post date:** [May 6, 2011, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/5 "2011-05-06T21:51:38Z")
There was a heartwarming story in the New York Times a years or so ago about the bomb-sniffing dog at the Montana state capitol, which was bought surplus from the IDF (and who only answered to Hebrew commands, so his handler had to get pronunciation tips from one of the three rabbis in Montana). So apparently there do exist some lower-intensity jobs for old war-zone dogs. Heartwarming story here: [http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/us/05religion.html](http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/05/us/05religion.html) ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/6 "2011-05-07T00:15:25Z")
> [@mlees](#): > > From here: [Dogs in warfare - Wikipedia](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_dog) > > Is this passage: > > It cites a CNN Special Report as a source: [http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-12/living/war.dogs\_1\_dogs-lab-and-shepherd-mix-viet-cong?\_s=PM:LIVING](http://articles.cnn.com/2010-02-12/living/war.dogs_1_dogs-lab-and-shepherd-mix-viet-cong?_s=PM:LIVING) Thank you for posting that site- I just remember seeing a show on Discovery about '98-'99 about this. It was a very sad situation. They interviewed some of the handlers that had to leave their dogs behind, and even after all those years, there were still tears. ---
**Author:** ![j666](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/9de0a6/32.png) [@j666](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/j666)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 12:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/7 "2011-05-07T00:44:55Z")
Most veteran dogs are in great demand in retirement, by their trainers, formers trainers, and (former) trainers’ family, friends, and co-workers. The dogs are retired fairly young, healthy, and well-trained to obey commands. Most are suitable for civilian retirment (pets), particularly the scenting dogs, who are not selected for aggression. There are dogs that are deemed unsuitable for civilian life. I have met military dogs that I would agree would be unsuitable. Should they be farmed out as junk-yard dogs? ---
**Author:** ![SanDiegoTim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85e7bf/32.png) [@SanDiegoTim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SanDiegoTim)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/8 "2011-05-07T01:28:30Z")
From a well-place source: the dog’s name is Semper Fido. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/9 "2011-05-07T01:39:22Z")
Just came in here to cry a little havoc, that’s all. ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/10 "2011-05-07T01:49:48Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Just came in here to cry a little havoc, that’s all. That’s from the fifth Hank, right? As an interesting note…too lazy to look up cite…“crying havoc” means that all normal rules of warfare (including killing only armed combatants) were off the table. It is the threat–or practice-- of raping, looting, and all the rest. ETA: Not really too lazy, but typing w one thumb on iPad. I’ve got some neuro issues. ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 1:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/11 "2011-05-07T01:59:15Z")
Nope, JC. ---
**Author:** ![Gukumatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/74df32/32.png) [@Gukumatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gukumatz)\ **Post date:** [May 7, 2011, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-dogs-of-war/580972/12 "2011-05-07T02:13:16Z")
> [@Leo\_Bloom](#): > > That’s from the fifth Hank, right? As an interesting note…too lazy to look up cite…“crying havoc” means that all normal rules of warfare (including killing only armed combatants) were off the table. It is the threat–or practice-- of raping, looting, and all the rest. > ETA: Not really too lazy, but typing w one thumb on iPad. I’ve got some neuro issues. Not merely a suspension of the rules, it was a specific command to the soldiers to cause havoc by pillaging and looting. (And all the rest.)