Animals in Service

October 4 annually stands for international animal protection, aiming to raise awareness of the suffering of animals and to sensitize people to appropriate animal care. The Austrian Armed Forces are the "employer" for 227 animals across the country and therefore have a high responsibility for the training, care, and possible uses of the animals.

Tragtierzentrum in Hochfilzen

There are a total of 58 horses at the Pack Animal Center (Tragetierzentrum) at the training area in Hochfilzen; 46 of them are pack animals, twelve are young horses in training, and eight are donkeys. The Pack Animal Center was structured in 2007 after the consolidation of the four pack animal squads, and a new infrastructure was built according to the latest criteria of animal husbandry while complying with animal protection laws. The center is tasked with supporting the needs of the Austrian Armed Forces under particularly challenging terrain conditions with the pack animals, considering operations in medium and high mountain areas.

Military Dog Center in Kaisersteinbruch

The Military Dog Center in Kaisersteinbruch is the competence center of the Austrian Armed Forces for breeding, training, further education, deployment, and evaluation of service dogs across the country.

There are a total of 161 military dogs in 20 establishments, led by 128 military dog handlers. Over 40 percent of the personnel in the Military Dog Center are women. 61 military dogs of the Rottweiler, German Shepherd, and Labrador breeds are located in Kaisersteinbruch for breeding, training, and various operations.

The military dogs make a significant contribution to minimizing risk for soldiers during operations at home and abroad.

Bees in Barracks

In some barracks, such as the Maria-Theresien Barracks in Vienna, the Schwarzenberg Barracks in Salzburg, or the Belgier Barracks in Graz, honey bees are also responsibly cared for by soldiers.

AUSTRIAN ARMED FORCES online