II 

112TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2134 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for certain requirements 

relating to the retirement, adoption, care, and recognition of military 

working dogs, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

FEBRUARY 27, 2012 

Mr. BLUMENTHAL introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 

referred to the Committee on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for certain 

requirements relating to the retirement, adoption, care, 

and recognition of military working dogs, and for other 

purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Canine Members of 

5 the Armed Forces Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress makes the following findings: 


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1 (1) Each of the Armed Forces and other Gov2 ernment agencies, including the Secret Service, the 

3 Central Intelligence Agency, and the Transportation 

4 Security Administration, use military working dogs 

5 (MWDs) in service to the country. 

6 (2) Since September 11, 2011, military working 

7 dogs have served in Iraq and Afghanistan and have 

8 been trained in explosive detection, narcotic detec9 tion, sentry, patrol, tracking, and other specific du10 ties. 

11 (3) Military working dogs, through their train12 ing, have prevented injuries and saved the lives of 

13 thousands of United States citizens. 

14 (4) Military working dogs perform critical and 

15 varied roles that go far beyond their current des16 ignation as ‘‘equipment.’’ 

17 SEC. 3. RETIREMENT AND ADOPTION OF MILITARY WORK18 ING DOGS. 

19 (a) RETIREMENT AND RECLASSIFICATION OF MILI20 TARY WORKING DOGS.—Section 2583 of title 10, United 

21 States Code, is amended— 

22 (1) by redesignating subsections (f) and (g) as 

23 subsections (h) and (i), respectively; and 

24 (2) by inserting after subsection (e) the fol25 lowing new subsections: 


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1 ‘‘(f) CLASSIFICATION OF MILITARY WORKING

2 DOGS.—The Secretary of Defense shall classify military 

3 working dogs as canine members of the armed forces. 

4 Such dogs shall not be classified as equipment. 

5 ‘‘(g) TRANSFER OF RETIRED MILITARY WORKING

6 DOGS.—If the Secretary of the military department con7 cerned determines that a military working dog should be 

8 retired, and no suitable adoption is available at the mili9 tary facility where the dog is located, the Secretary may 

10 transfer the dog— 

11 ‘‘(1) to the 341st Training Squadron; or 

12 ‘‘(2) to another location for adoption under this 

13 section.’’. 

14 (b) ACCEPTANCE OF FREQUENT TRAVELER

15 MILES.—Section 2613(d) of such title is amended— 

16 (1) in paragraph (1)(B), by striking ‘‘; or’’ and 

17 inserting a semicolon; 

18 (2) in paragraph (2), by striking the period at 

19 the end and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 

20 (3) by adding at the end the following new 

21 paragraph: 

22 ‘‘(3) facilitating the adoption of a military 

23 working dog under section 2583 of this title.’’. 


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1 SEC. 4. VETERINARY CARE FOR RETIRED MILITARY WORK2 ING DOGS. 

3 (a) VETERINARY CARE.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 50 of title 10, 

5 United States Code, is amended by adding at the 

6 end the following new section: 

7 ‘‘§ 993. Military working dogs: veterinary care for re8 tired military working dogs 

9 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Defense shall 

10 establish and maintain a system to provide for the veteri11 nary care of retired military working dogs. 

12 ‘‘(b) ELIGIBLE DOGS.—(1) A retired military work13 ing dog eligible for veterinary care under this section is 

14 any military working dog adopted under section 2583 of 

15 this title. 

16 ‘‘(2) The veterinary care provided a military working 

17 dog under this section shall be provided during the life 

18 of the dog beginning on the date on which the dog is 

19 adopted under such section 2583. 

20 ‘‘(c) ADMINISTRATION.—(1) The Secretary shall ad21 minister the system required by this section under a con22 tract awarded by the Secretary for that purpose. 

23 ‘‘(2)(A) The contract under this subsection shall be 

24 awarded to a private non-profit entity selected by the Sec25 retary from among such entities submitting an application 

26 therefor that have such experience and expertise as the 


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1 Secretary considers appropriate for purposes of this sub2 section. 

3 ‘‘(B) An entity seeking the award of a contract under 

4 this subsection shall submit to the Secretary an applica5 tion therefor in such form, and containing such informa6 tion, as the Secretary shall require. 

7 ‘‘(3) The term of any contract under this subsection 

8 shall be such duration as the Secretary shall specify. 

9 ‘‘(d) STANDARDS OF CARE.—(1) The veterinary care 

10 provided under the system required by this section shall 

11 meet such standards as the Secretary shall establish and 

12 from time to time update. 

13 ‘‘(2) The standards required by this subsection shall 

14 include the following: 

15 ‘‘(A) Provisions regarding the types of care to 

16 be provided to retired military working dogs. 

17 ‘‘(B) Provisions regarding the entities (includ18 ing private veterinarians and entities) qualified to 

19 provide the care. 

20 ‘‘(C) Provisions regarding the facilities, includ21 ing military installations, government facilities, and 

22 private facilities, in which the care may be provided. 

23 ‘‘(D) A requirement that complete histories be 

24 maintained on the health and use in research of re25 tired military working dogs. 


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1 ‘‘(E) Such other matters as the Secretary con2 siders appropriate. 

3 ‘‘(3) The Secretary shall consult with the board of 

4 directors of the non-profit private entity awarded the con5 tract under subsection (c) in establishing and updating 

6 standards of care under this subsection. 

7 ‘‘(e) COVERAGE OF COSTS.—(1) Except as provided 

8 in paragraph (2), any costs of operation and administra9 tion of the system required by this section, and of any 

10 veterinary care provided under the system, shall be cov11 ered by such combination of the following as the Secretary 

12 and the non-profit entity awarded the contract under sub13 section (c) jointly consider appropriate: 

14 ‘‘(A) Contributions from the non-profit entity. 

15 ‘‘(B) Payments for such care by owners or 

16 guardians of the retired military working dogs re17 ceiving such care. 

18 ‘‘(C) Other appropriate non-Federal sources of 

19 funds. 

20 ‘‘(2) Funds provided by the Federal Government— 

21 ‘‘(A) may not be used— 

22 ‘‘(i) to provide veterinary care under the 

23 system required by this section; or 


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1 ‘‘(ii) to pay for the normal operation of the 

2 non-profit entity awarded the contract under 

3 subsection (c); and 

4 ‘‘(B) may be used to carry out the duties of the 

5 Secretary under subsections (a), (c), (d), and (f). 

6 ‘‘(f) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary shall prescribe 

7 regulations for the discharge of the requirements and au8 thorities in this section, including regulations on the 

9 standards of care required by subsection (d).’’. 

10 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec11 tions at the beginning of chapter 50 of such title is 

12 amended by adding at the end the following new 

13 item: 

‘‘993. Military working dogs: veterinary care for retired military working dogs.’’. 

14 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Secretary of Defense shall 

15 prescribe the regulations required by subsection (f) of sec16 tion 993 of title 10, United States Code (as added by sub17 section (a) of this section), not later than 180 days after 

18 the date of the enactment of this Act. 

19 SEC. 5. RECOGNITION OF SERVICE OF MILITARY WORKING 

20 DOGS. 

21 Section 1125 of title 10, United States Code, is 

22 amended— 

23 (1) by inserting ‘‘(a) GENERAL AUTHORITY.— 

24 ’’ before ‘‘The Secretary of Defense’’; and 


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1 (2) by adding at the end the following new sub2 section: 

3 ‘‘(b) RECOGNITION OF SERVICE OF MILITARY WORK4 ING DOGS.—The Secretary of Defense shall create a deco5 ration or other appropriate recognition to recognize mili6 tary working dogs under the jurisdiction of the Secretary 

7 that are killed in action or perform an exceptionally meri8 torious or courageous act in service to the United States.’’. 

Æ 


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