Former Colonel and Past Leader of the U.S. Army Veterinary Command says DOD sheds light on inadequate living conditions, neglect, and even deaths of military dogs
WASHINGTON, D.C — Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and Animal Wellness Foundation call for immediate action to resolve the institutional failures that have led to the severe neglect and even deaths of military working dogs (MWDs) on military bases across the United States.
A February 2026 report from the Department of War (DOW/DOD) Office of the Inspector General (OIG) has exposed the abject conditions that MWDs in non-training status face in bases across the country.
The investigation and report appear to have been prompted by findings from an August 2024 visit to the Air Force’s 341st Training Readiness Squadron at San Antonio–Lackland, Texas. The report conveys the findings from Inspector General evaluations on bases in Virginia, North Carolina, Texas, Maryland, and California from April 2024 through September 2025.
The report provides damning examples of myriad inadequacies, including:
- Open-air facilities that wholly lack shelter from heat, rain, and cold
- Very high rates of disease, including up to 47% of dogs sick at one location, “likely because of the poor kennel conditions”
- No protection from hazardous exposure to black mold and other “toxic debris”
- Four pneumonia dog deaths, which the OIG report links to inadequate housing conditions
- Contagious disease outbreaks, which are further compounded by a lack of quarantine and isolation areas
- Standing waste and contaminated water
- Dogs who were only given 40 minutes a week, maximum, of physical activity through walks
- Lack of mental enrichment and behavioral indications of stress
These failures are attributed to the low priority of kennel facilities for military renovations and construction, and the insufficient number of caretakers to care for the dogs.
“Officers get relieved from duty when a report this damning is published,” said Colonel Tom Pool (ret.), DVM, MPH, and the former chief of the U.S. Army Veterinary Command. Now the senior veterinarian with Animal Wellness Action, Dr. Pool characterized the report as extremely unfavorable.
“Ignoring this will not be possible,” the retired full colonel and graduate of the College of Veterinary Medicine at Oklahoma State University said. “These problems have been brewing for some time, and the IG report shows that they remain unresolved. This is unforgiveable mismanagement of critical and irreplaceable Defense assets.”
“This level of neglect, if committed by a civilian, could be considered a criminal offense under many states’ animal welfare laws,” said Kate Chupka Schultz, senior attorney for the Center for a Humane Economy and a former animal cruelty prosecutor. “It is especially concerning because there are few to no legal avenues to make sure action is taken and the recommendations are implemented.”
Report Recommendations
The report makes two “recommendations” to solve the failures: 1) responsible military authorities “develop and implement a plan to upgrade military working dog kennel facilities to meet current DoD standards” And 2) the number of military working dogs in non-training status at the 341 Training Squadron—but not other problematic locations—be reduced until more caretakers can be added.
Dr. Pool is critical of the second proposed fix. “As for reducing dogs to match staffing, that is a simplistic and ill-considered response. The military never has enough dogs, and often these dogs are highly bonded to their handler — they cannot simply be shifted elsewhere like pawns on a chessboard.”
The February 2026 report includes earlier documents, such as a December 2025 memorandum, that identified the same issues but noted that the current government hiring freeze affected the DOW’s ability to rectify the problems.
The IG report indicates that additional funding was approved for FY 2026 for additional caretakers and kennel facility improvements. Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, and Animal Wellness Foundation call for immediate implementation of the fixes the funding is meant to address and for mechanisms to ensure this does not happen again.
“The MWD program is already inexpensive, compared to most Air Force programs,” Dr. Pool said. “The entire MWD program is budgeted at a bit less than $15 million per year out of a $250 billion Air Force annual budget.”
“It is deeply distressing that these working dogs help to keep our country safe, yet they are neglected and treated like machines,” said Wayne Pacelle, president of Animal Wellness Action and the Center for a Humane Economy. “The DOD needs a reboot when it comes to the proper and humane treatment of its canine soldiers. To fall short of first-rate care is a betrayal of our responsibilities to animals who give their lives for America.”