An American serviceman with a US military dog in Afghanistan. TAUSEEF MUSTAFA/AFP via Getty Images
Photographs of dogs being held in cages at Kabul's airport have led to accusations that the US has left behind service dogs.
A group representing animal welfare stated that the US issued a "death sentence” to US military working dogs.
According to the Pentagon, it didn't leave working dogs at Hamid Karzai International Airport.
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After photos of dogs being held in cages at Kabul's airport became viral, the Pentagon has retracted claims that the US military abandoned working dogs.
John Kirby, Pentagon Press Secretary, stated Tuesday that "to correct erroneous reporting, the US Military didn't leave any dogs in cages Hamid Karzai International Airport," adding that the Pentagon had not left any working dogs behind.
He explained that the photos circulated online were of animals taken care by the Kabul Small Animal Rescue and not dogs.
Eric Pahon, the Pentagon spokesperson, stated in a statement that "despite a continuing complicated and dangerous retrograde operation, US forces went great lengths to help the Kabul Small Animal Rescue [as much as possible]", adding that the dogs that were being cared for by the group were, to his knowledge strays from Kabul and not working dogs.
Joint Task Force – Crisis Response, which assisted in evacuations out Kabul, "didn't leave any dogs at [Hamid Karazai International Airport]". Marine Corps Forces Central Command tweeted Tuesday that the photos are not of military working dog photographs. Insider was told the same by a defense official.
Defense One was informed by a spokesperson for the State Department that all its working dogs had been evacuated. They stated that "none were left behind".
Continue the story
Insider was told by a defense official that the claims that the US has left behind military working dogs are "absolutely false."
Matt Brown of USA Today was told by another official that all working dogs had left their handlers. They would never be left behind. It is absurd to suggest otherwise."
These military statements are in response to a strong-worded statement made Monday by Robin Ganzert (president and CEO of American Humane), condemning the "death sentence” for contract workers dogs.
She stated that she was "devastated" by reports that the American government is withdrawing from Kabul, leaving behind courageous US military contract work dogs that will be tortured and murdered at the hands of our enemies.
Ganzert wrote, "These brave dogs do similar dangerous, lifesaving work to our military working dogs and they deserved a better fate than that to which they were condemned."
Insider was told by an American Humane spokesperson that they received reports from Kabul residents, including US military personnel, that indicated that the animals left behind were contract working dogs.
SPCA International issued a statement citing information from Charlotte Maxwell-Jones who founded Kabul Small Animal Rescue. It stated that the dogs and their owners were "expressly NOT allowed to board military aircraft" and that many private charter aircraft were denied access to the airport.
Although it seemed that working dogs might have been among the animals that could not be evacuated, the statement did not give any details about their status.
The animal rescue operation, Charlotte, reported that the majority of the KSAR dog's had to be released into the airport by the airport crew on August 30, as the airport was evacuated. This would make the shelter dogs who were once homeless stray dogs.
In the aftermath of the Taliban takeover, the US and its international allies conducted a large airlift operation to evacuate thousands of Afghan citizens, Afghan partners, their families and other foreign nationals from Afghanistan. However, not everyone who wanted to flee was able.
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