The State Department is helping animal welfare groups coordinate to save bomb-sniffing dogs slated for destruction by a Kuwaiti-based company with ties to U.S. businesses and multinationals.
“The embassy is helping to facilitate contact between private American organizations and their Kuwaiti counterparts in this regard,” a State Department official stated after being petitioned to intervene on behalf of the animals that reportedly were trained in the U.S.
Eastern Security enraged animal welfare groups after photos of its 24 dead German Shepherds began circulating last week, which sparked a petition to force the U.S. Embassy in Kuwait to “secure the remaining 60-90 dogs” and turn them over to the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals International.
The company allegedly euthanized the dogs because it lost its security contract with state-owned Kuwait National Petroleum Co.
Petition organizers claim that the dogs were trained in Louisiana and that Eastern’s top executives are U.S. citizens.
“The embassy is aware of these reports and is concerned by the allegations regarding the treatment of both the dogs and their human handlers,” the State Department official continued.
“The embassy has urged the Kuwaiti authorities to act swiftly. And we understand that an investigation into the allegations is underway,” the official said. “Several Kuwaiti animal rights organizations and individuals have mobilized to care for the dogs and safeguard the well-being of their handlers.”
