Working Dogs should get better attention and care at their Agencies.

Numerous federal agencies, notably those responsible for security and law enforcement, rely on working dogs to assist them in carrying out their duties. A recent analysis from the Government Accountability Office reveals that agencies are not meeting their obligations to maintain the health and effectiveness of these dogs.

There are situations when these dogs are not provided medicines when they’re sick, and sometimes they are also found to be dangerously sick. On humanitarian grounds, working dogs should receive all the care to perform their functions adequately.

Steve Morris, the Director of the Natural Resource and Environment team in GAO, has always been involved in food safety and agriculture tasks.

GAO identified 18 areas where employers of working dogs are advised to have comprehensive policies. These areas include abuse and neglect, euthanasia, emergency medical care, exercise, water and food, grooming, welfare training, health and housing, medical requirements after retirement, procurement, medical records, medication, routine veterinary care, rest and length of on-duty time,  routine welfare evaluations, retirement, sanitation, and transportation.

Forty federal agencies employ dogs in some form for their work, whether for bomb or narcotics detection, passenger screening, surveillance, wildlife management, or rescue operations. By February 2022, there were over 5,100 federally managed dogs, more than half of which were employed by the Defense Department, which had nearly 1,800 canines under management, followed by the Homeland Security Department with about 2,900 dogs.

Most agencies lagged in abuse, neglect, rest, and time spent on duty. Only 22 of the 40 organizations with dog programs had rules addressing abuse and neglect, and only 17 of the 40 organizations had protocols in place limiting how long dogs can work before they must take a break.

The lack of a specific policy governing a given issue was sometimes rationalized by agencies claiming that it fell under a larger federal workforce or management policy or that the government’s obligation for a dog stops when it retires and is adopted by a private home.

All organizations that use working dogs should update the policies regulating those programs to address all 18 concerns highlighted by the watchdog agency. Organizations with contracts with private companies to use working dogs should follow suit the next time those contracts are up for renewal.

Almost all of the agencies examined for the report except the Energy Department agreed with the recommendations.

In response to both recommendations, the department stated that it would assess the 18 concerns GAO identified as crucial to the welfare of working dogs. According to GAO’s report, it will determine their applicability to DOE’s canine program and issue a policy explanation. They concur that the department has some latitude in choosing which of the 18 issues will be covered in upcoming contracts.

To ensure the humane treatment and best performance of federal working dogs, it will continue to believe that solving all 18 issues is crucial. This is especially true concerning their suggestion to the department’s agencies with federally controlled working dog programs.