Dogsey

DOZENS of dogs who loyally served Britain have been destroyed by the Ministry of Defence this year, the Daily Express can reveal.

Many of the 51 animals killed saw action on the front line in Iraq and Afghanistan and saved the lives of hundreds of British soldiers.

Among the dogs killed, 17 were physically healthy but were described as having "dangerous temperaments" or suffering from "welfare" problems.

Defence chiefs also admitted that a further 50 dogs were destroyed in 2013 and dozens of other dogs were put down for a series of untreatable medical conditions.

The worst month for canine euthanasia was September this year when 12 dogs were destroyed, almost one every two days.

Of those killed, eight were physically healthy but were destroyed for "age or welfare' reasons according to the MoD.

Among others destroyed, one dog suffered an abdominal catastrophe, another had a neurological disease and two had osteoarthritis.

The MoD also admitted that it has killed 25 horses in the last 22 months. The majority of the horses were put down for medical reasons after service in the Household Cavalry.

The MoD maintains that animals are only destroyed after all medical treatments have been exhausted or if the animal cannot be rehomed.

But the director if Animal Aid, Andrew Tyler, said the animals were being dumped after loyal service - and many military dogs were paying the price for having been trained to be aggressive.

He said: "The MoD pretends these animals are heroes but when they reach the end of their working lives they are disposed of like worn kit.

"Many of these animals are conditioned to perform aggressively or to undertake brain-numbing repetitive tasks. This upsets their mental and emotional equilibrium.

"They need to be restored to good mental and physical health - not killed."

Details of the destruction of dogs and horses were released in response to a parliamentary question by Kevan Jones, the Labour MP and former defence minister.

Military Working dogs were used throughout the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan either to protect soldiers on patrol or to search for buried roadside bombs.

Several of the animals have received the Dicken Medal, the canine equivalent of the Victoria Cross.

The MoD has previously faced severe criticism for killing dogs after serving in the armed forces.

Past criticism was triggered by the military putting down Belgian shepherd Brus and a German shepherd named Blade who helped protect Prince William at his Welsh RAF base.

The decision was made after bosses ruled the pair, based at RAF Valley in North Wales, could not be redeployed or re-homed.

The British Army has around 500 horses, mostly serving in the King's Troop of the Royal Horse Artillery and the Household Cavalry.

They play a vital role in ceremonies like Changing of the Guard and Trooping the Colour at the Queen's Birthday Parade.

But the destruction of dogs and horses has started to raise concerns in the veterinary world.

One vet speaking anonymously said: "Killing 100 dogs in two years is a lot in anyone's estimation. I have a large practice and I certainly don't destroy a dog a week. The question is whether these dogs are being put down as a last resort or for other reasons."