Army mishandled bomb-sniffing dogs from Afghanistan, report says

WASHINGTON — A report finds that the Army failed to do right by some of the more than 200 bomb-sniffing dogs that served with U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan, detecting roadside bombs and saving lives.

The Defense Department’s inspector general has determined that, after the program ended in 2014, some soldiers struggled or were unable to adopt the dogs they had handled.

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This included two dogs among 13 that were given to a private company to be used as service dogs for veterans but then abandoned at a Virginia kennel.

The report says Congress amended the law in 2015 to give handlers top priority in adopting their dogs.

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The inspector general also faults the military for not properly screening those adopting the dogs, including law enforcement agencies and private individuals.