State Department Working Dog Neglect Report

[ladyjubilee]

https://www.govexec.com/management/2019 ... an/159785/

I read this story in on several articles, but this one seemed to be the most detailed and provides a link to the actual report from the Office of Inspector General.

While the horrible conditions for these dogs is disturbing, I find it really frustrating that the program isn't being curtailed.

[centrop67]

OIG identified a range of problems in the EDCP. First,
OIG found an overall lack of policies and standards
governing the program. The Department routinely
provides dogs to foreign partners without signed
written agreements that outline standards for
minimum care, retirement, and use of the canines,
and the Department conducts health and welfare
follow-ups infrequently and inconsistently. Second,
OIG confirmed ongoing concerns regarding the
program in Jordan, where health and welfare
problems have persisted for years. Nonetheless, the
Department provided EDCs to this nation before those
concerns were resolved. Additionally, the Department
did not adequately plan to ensure that Jordan’s canine
program could become self-sustaining or that funding
will be consistently available to protect the dogs
already provided. Finally, the Department could not
provide detailed information about dogs in programs
other than Jordan.

Link to the report -> https://www.stateoig.gov/system/files/esp-19-06.pdf

[centrop67]

[Mark77]

It's a cultural issue- as in they generally treat animals like garbage. Plenty of my friends who deployed during the war in Iraq and Afghanistan said they were the worse people on the planet.

[ladyjubilee]

I agree there is a cultural aspect, but also a money aspect. We talk about the Dutch Shepherd being the poor man's dog working for scraps...which is the type of dog often found in these regions, like Kangels. When you are used to dogs living on the periphery, making due, the level of care for a working dog would be hard to imagine...especially if you are choosing between paying for a dogs care and feeding your children. The report said other countries in the region were providing adequate to good care.

There seemed to be a basic misunderstanding of who paid for what...and the dismay indicated when the handlers were told the US was not paying for care for non program dogs suggests there was some level of concern.

But more I feel the State Department had a role to play, that they just ignored. The two mentors who didn't "notice" a problem with a dog that was actually starving to death is on US culture not Jordan's. And staff at the State Department not only should be, but are trained, to understand cultural nuances. They are our diplomatic Corp, it's what the do. I could understand more if this had been a military mission where people trained in military tasks (which I know are far ranging) but not cultural understanding. Incidentally, from the report it seemed theses issues came up when the program moved from ATF to State.

Anyway seems like not only from an humane point but also a taxpayer point of view the State Department needs to get its act together.

[Mark77]

It's the handlers job to care for the dog- to insure the animals are well fed and looked after. As far as veterinary care, it's the handlers job to go through their chain of command to insure their animals are being vaccinated or bring up any medical conditions that need to be addressed. Look at the photo of the starving dog and tell me they didn't notice her dying.

[ladyjubilee]

Well, that kind of assumes there is a chain of command, and that the veterinarian has the supplies to address issues, and that the handler knows how to take care of a dog. The report found at least one "handler" who had never been trained.

I look at it kind of like when I had a friend keep our girl Chess. I *thought* I had explained her care fully to a friend, a friend who cares about animals enough to spider sit for me. Unfortunately, there are things I do and don't that I took as basic knowledge (ex the little flat "dish" for water is all she needed. She didn't need a bowl; no, you really don't have to let her out for a walk (they learned real quick.)) I failed to consider that a lot of people view spiders negatively and so folks just don't know. We even had really nice seemingly educated people almost drop her!

The stigma against spiders means not everyone knows how to take care of spiders. Not everyone knows how to care for dogs, especially when there is a religious bias against dogs. The State Department should have had a chain of responsibility that ensured the dogs were cared.