Congress wants answers after 10 bomb-sniffing dogs die in Jordan
Congress is demanding answers after an inspector general report showed that a number of bomb-sniffing dogs from the United States have died from neglect in Jordan.
Congress wants answers from the State Department after a recent inspector general report found that at least 10 bomb-sniffing dogs provided by the United States have died as a result of systematic mistreatment in Jordan.
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., the top Democrat on both the Senate Appropriations Committee and its State Department funding panel, sent a letter to Secretary of State Mike Pompeo today voicing concerns over the canines’ mistreatment and the lack of accountability in the multimillion-dollar program.
“They cost a lot of money to train and their lives are put at risk every day in the field,” Leahy told Al-Monitor in a statement. “It is imperative that they are properly cared for. Based on the Inspector General’s report, the State Department needs to immediately take the necessary steps to ensure that the dogs are being treated humanely and that future donations of dogs are made pursuant to agreements with foreign governments that protect the dogs from abuse.”
Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., asked Pompeo for a plan to improve the program and ensure the canines’ safety. Many of the dogs are trained at the Canine Validation Center in Warner’s home state of Virginia.
