KANDAHAR AIRFIELD, Afghanistan
- In October, numerous U.S. military working dogs received special cooling
vests and pads to combat heat exhaustion which killed several dogs in Afghanistan
this year.
Maj. Donna DeBonis, the 993rd
Medical Detachment officer in charge of the veterinary treatment facility
here from Whidbey Island, Wash., spearheaded the project, while the Humane
Society International purchased 25 vests and 75 pads at a reduced price
by the supplying company. FedEx provided free shipping to Afghanistan for
the cooling vests and pads.
For a canine, critical temperature
is 105 degrees Fahrenheit and above, said DeBonis. She has personally recorded
temperatures at more than 130 degrees Fahrenheit on KAF's tarmac-covered
flight line.
"Dogs can't cool off like
we do," said DeBonis. "They can't sweat."
Dogs lower their temperature
by panting, which increases the air flow through their respiratory system.
The vests are manufactured to absorb heat building up in the dog, making
breathing easier and cooling vital organs. The adjustable cooling vests
can be recharged by submerging in ice when a refrigerator is not available
and last for hours.
The cooling pads provide
similar effects and claim to maintain a canine's optimal body temperature
for at least four hours in weather more than 110 degrees Fahrenheit. DeBonis
expects handlers to use the pads for dogs to lie on in the backs of vehicles
during convoys and mounted patrols.
The project began after DeBonis,
while paying a vet visit to military working goats at the KAF ammunition
supply point, spoke to Sgt. Donald R. Belvin, an 826th Ordnance Company
supply noncommissioned officer from DeKalb, Ill. The two observed military
working dogs operating nearby, and DeBonis mentioned to Belvin that dogs
are prone to overheat in this climate. Wanting to help, Belvin initially
researched sniper pads, once used by snipers to cool themselves while lying
in wait, he said. On the Internet, he located a company that sells cooling
vests and pads for police and rescue canines.
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Story Highlights
-
Several military working dogs
died in Afghanistan in 2009 due to heat exhaustion.
-
Temperatures can reach to 130
degrees in Afghanistan.
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The Humane Society International
purchased cooling vests and pads for U.S. military canines here.
"[The company was] very willing
to help," said Belvin. "I mean, they even sent the dogs treats."
In a similar project, the
Humane Society of the United States purchased cooling vests in 2003 for
donation to U.S. Marine working dogs in Iraq.
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