KANDAHAR AIR FIELD, Afghanistan — The U.S. troop surge in Afghanistan has led to a dog surge — and unexpected problems in procuring high-quality dog food for hundreds of canines used to find explosives and perform other energy-intensive missions.
Along with about 37,000 U.S. and NATO troops, the number of military working dogs being brought into the country to search for mines and explosives and to accompany soldiers on patrol is increasing substantially, said Nick Guidas, the American K-9 project manager for Afghanistan.
Guidas, a civilian contractor who mainly oversees dog operations, said he has 50 dogs on operational teams and about 20 more awaiting missions. He expects a total of 219 by July.
The dog food, which is made commercially in the United States and has extra protein and nutrients to keep the dogs healthy while working in the heat and cold, must be shipped to Pakistan and then trucked to Kandahar.
But space on trucks is limited and prioritized.
“It doesn’t get a higher priority than a Coke or some potato chips,” Guidas said of the dog food. “It moves when it moves.”
