[Congressional Record Volume 146, Number 132 (Thursday, October 19, 2000)]
[Senate]
[Pages S10787-S10789]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
DISTURBING DOD POLICY
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. Mr. President, I rise today to speak on a
disturbing Department of Defense (DOD) policy that prohibits the
adoption of retired military working dogs (MWD).
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The bill that I am speaking in support of today, H.R. 5314, will
amend the law to allow a handler to adopt a retired military working
dog. This legislation was constructed with the guidance and input of
all the parties involved. While the Senate version provides more
flexibility for the DOD than I would prefer, in the future the Congress
will have the opportunity to evaluate the DOD's work when they report
back to Congress on their progress in facilitating military dog
adoptions.
In discussions with the Managers, my understanding is that this
change is only intended to protect the Department of Defense's
flexibility to retain animals it determines to be unsuitable for
release. In no way is this intended to allow the Defense Department to
retain animals that are suitable for release and are no longer needed.
I believe it is important to clarify this point, but with that
understanding, I am pleased to support this legislation.
The DOD's policy callously discards these highly trained and devoted
animals after completion of their service to their country after 8-10
years of age, even if their handlers wish to adopt them.
Under the current law there is no happy retirement for these loyal
canines. After their body is no longer able to sustain the workload of
their mission, the future becomes bleak for these dogs. In a best case
scenario, the dogs are sent back to Lackland Air Force Base, their
original training school, where they are used to instruct their human
counterparts to become handlers.
After they have served this final duty, they are kenneled for an
undertermined amount of time and then put down. In some instances,
military working dogs are caged as long as a year until they meet their
final outcome. If no kennel space is available, the less fortunate are
terminated directly upon their arrival to Lackland.
Without the loyal service of Military Working Dogs and their devotion
to their handlers, countless American soldiers would have died or
become casualties of war.
These dogs have abilities that our most advanced technology cannot
match, rendering them priceless to the men and women serving in our
military.
Of the 10,000 men who served with K-9 units during the Vietnam War
more than 265 were Killed in Action. Of the 4,000 dogs that served, 281
were ``Officially'' listed as ``Killed in Action,'' but only 190 were
returned home at the end of the war.
More than 500 dogs died on the battlefields of Vietnam.
Military Working Dogs not only helped win battles and save lives, but
had an enormous impact upon the mental well-being of those humans that
surrounded them in the severest of battle conditions.
It is clear that the DOD's policy does not work in the best interests
of the dog handlers and the dogs. There is a distinctly strong bond
between dog handlers and their dogs, who work, live and play together
on a daily basis.
I believe that the military's policy unnecessarily severs a bond that
has taken years to cultivate which can easily be alleviated by allowing
dog handlers or other qualified people to care for these highly
intelligent dogs after they can no longer serve their country.
The 1949 Federal Property and Administrative Services Act, enacted
after World War II, reclassified military working dogs as equipment.
According to the military mentality, any piece of equipment no longer
operable, becomes a hardship to the unit and must be disposed.
In 1997, the Federal Property and Administrative Services Act was
amended. The law was altered to permit federal dog handlers, such as
those in the Drug Enforcement Administration, to adopt their aging K-9
partners after their service in law enforcement was completed.
The DOD's K-9 partners were the only federal canine group not
included in the modification. Are these worthy canines any less
deserving of peacefully living out the remainder of their days than
another federal working dogs? These dogs can be detrained of their
aggressive responses and we have no reason to assume that they will not
continue to obey their handlers.
The bill that I am speaking in support of today, H.R. 5315, will
amend the law to allow a handler to adopt a retired military working
dog. I believe that legislation was constructed with the best interest
for all parties involved.
The decision to allow a handler to adopt their canine partner rests
on the shoulders of those who know the dog best: the dog's last unit
commander an the last unit veterinarian. Made on a case-by-case basis,
the commander and veterinarian are obligated to give their consent
before the adoption process can move forward.
Furthermore, H.R. 5314 provides an additional safeguard at the
federal level. Upon receipt of the dog, the adopting handler waives all
liability against the federal government.
H.R. 5314 will effectively accomplish two goals: it offers the DOD a
solution to their dilemma of maintaining aging canines and lifts the
restriction that prohibits the adoption of military working dogs.
Former dog handlers, individuals with comparable experience, or law
enforcement agencies will be able to provide a loving home for such
deserving animals.
Through the passage of this legislation, not only will the military
working dog be taken from a permanently caged status, but the dog will
also be given the opportunity for a positive home environment. I know
you will agree that after a lifetime of service, there can be no better
reward for both handler and dog.
In closing, H.R. 5314 has been endorsed by the Humane Society of the
United States, the American Veterinary Medical Association, the Society
for Animal Protective Legislation, the Doris Day Animal Rights League,
and The American Society for the prevention of Cruelty to Animals. This
is a positive measure which is a win-win solution for dog, handler and
the Department of Defense.
I ask unanimous consent to have printed in the Record a letter to
Senator Warner from William W. Putney, DVM. He was a C.O. of the War
Dog Training School at Camp Lejeune, NC, was awarded the Silver Star
for his bravery during his command of a ``war dog'' platoon in the 3rd
Marine Division during World War II.
There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the
Record, as follows:
Woodland Hills, CA,
October 18, 2000.
Senator John Warner,
Chairman, Committee on Armed Forces,
Washington, DC.
Dear Senator Warner: I was born in Prince Edward County
Virginia. Attended Virginia Tech (VPI then) then graduated
from Auburn University in 1943. I immediately went into the
Marine Corps and served throughout the war as a line officer
in the war dog program and later as the Chief Veterinarian,
USMC. Although I am not a constituent of yours, I have many
relatives, living in Virginia, that are. I was the platoon
leader of the 2nd and 3rd Marine War Dog Platoons that served
with the 3rd Marine Division on Guadalcanal, Guam and Iwo
Jima and the 2nd Marine Division on Saipan, Okinawa and
Japan.
After the cessation of hostilities, I was C.O. of the War
Dog Training School at Camp Lejeune, NC when we detrained and
returned to civilian life our dogs that we used in WWII on
places like Guadalcanal, Bougainville, Kuajalien, Enewetok,
Guam, Pelelieu, Saipan, Okinawa and Japan. Our dogs saved a
lot of Marines' lives including mine.
Of the 550 Marine war dogs that we had on duty at the end
of the war, only four were destroyed due to our inability to
detrain them sufficiently to be returned safely to civilian
life. Never to my knowledge was there a recorded an instance
where any one of those dogs ever attacked or bit anyone. It
is not true that once a dog has had attack training, it can
never be released safely into the civilian population. All of
our dogs were attack trained.
I strongly support Senator Smith in his efforts to change
present DoD policy that once a dog has received attack
training, it will always be destroyed when he can no longer
perform his military duties.
To use animals for our own use and then destroy them
arbitrarily when they can no longer be of use to us is the
worst kind of animal abuse.
William W. Putney, DVM,
Captain, USMC, WWII.
Mr. SMITH of New Hampshire. He offers his strong support for a change
in the law that will allow the adoption of military working dogs.
Former Marine Lt. Putney led a successful effort to build a cemetery
and monument for the 25 dogs who died in the liberation of Guam in
1944, and I applaud his work to memorialize their contribution to
preventing more loss of life during WWII. I also want to have printed
for
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the Record an article that provides some details of his military life
and his accomplishments in recognizing the special canine contribution
to our wartime successes.
There being no objection, the article was ordered to be printed in
the Record, as follows:
[From the Los Angeles Times, Sept. 3, 1995]
Marine, Now 75, Honored for his Wartime Courage
(By Doyle McManus)
Marine Lt. William W. Putney was awarded the Silver Star
for bravery on Saturday--at the age of 75, half a century
after the end of his war.
Putney, a Woodland Hills veterinarian, commanded a ``war
dog'' platoon in the 3rd Marine Division during World War
II--a little-known specialty that used trained dogs both to
guard American positions and sniff out enemy troops hidden in
tunnels or caves.
On July 26, 1944, Putney's unit was defending 3rd Marine
headquarters on Guam when the lieutenant, then 24, spotted a
Japanese platoon heading toward the division hospital.
``Putney ordered the war dog handlers to tie their dogs to
bushes and take up a firing line in the path of the enemy.''
His citation reads, ``An enemy machine gun emplacement
savagely opened fire. . . . Disregarding his own safety,
(Putney) unhesitatingly arose from his position of cover, and
standing exposed to the hail of bullets aimed at him, began
firing.
``He succeeded in silencing the machine gun and killing the
two enemy machine gunners. Although wounded, he exhorted the
platoon to press the attack, resulting in the killing of all
enemy soldiers, including the Japanese officer leading the
attack.''
Officials said Putney had been recommended for a decoration
during the war but unaccountability did not receive one. His
former commanding officer resubmitted the recommendation a
few years ago, and Navy Secretary John H. Dalton approved it
in time for Putney to formally receive the award at the
Punchbowl military cemetery here as part of Saturday's
commemoration of the end of World War II.
After the war, Putney served as chief veterinarian and
commander of the U.S. Army War Dog Training School. He
retired from the Marines and practiced as a veterinarian in
Woodland Hills.
In recent years, he led a successful effort to build a
cemetery and monument for the 25 Doberman pinschers and
German shepherds who died in the liberation of Guam in 1944.
The memorial, which includes the names of the dogs and a
life-size bronze statue of a Doberman, was dedicated in a
military ceremony last year.
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