Service dogs kill Special Forces soldiers

In the evening hours of November 13, a tragic incident occurred in the Flugfeld barracks, in which a 31-year-old Lower Austrian lost his life. During the night, the officer on duty at the Flugfeld barracks noticed two loose Belgian Shepherd dogs. He alerted a dog handler who locked up the two dogs again at 02:00 in the morning.

During the subsequent check of the kennel facility, the dog handler discovered the fatally injured non-commissioned officer of the Jagdkommando. It appears that he had been attacked by the dogs. The unfortunate soldier was a 31-year-old sergeant from Lower Austria, who had been working as a dog handler since 2017. He was responsible for the care and feeding that evening. It has been determined so far that he had left for the kennel facility around 4:00 p.m. to care for the dogs. His own service dog remained in the vehicle.

The police investigations have already begun. The Federal Army has set up an accident commission consisting of a veterinarian, a doctor, and a legal expert.

The Austrian Federal Army expresses its deep condolences to the relatives. The Army Psychological Service has taken over the care of the relatives and comrades of the deceased soldier.

Currently, the Austrian Federal Army uses 170 military dogs, 70 of which are in the military dog center. Of these, 41 are Rottweilers, 15 are Belgian and five are German Shepherds, and nine are Labradors. The training takes place in Kaisersteinbruch.

AUSTRIAN FEDERAL ARMY on the Internet: www.bundesheer.at