Washington, D.C. – A provision authored by Congressman Erik Paulsen (MN-03) to require the Department of Defense to return all military working dogs to the United States after their service is complete was signed into law by President Obama. The legislation was included in the National Defense Authorization Act, which passed both houses of Congress with bipartisan support. Paulsen introduced the bill, the Military Working Dog Retirement Act, in June. Military working dogs are often retired overseas despite a list of over 1,200 people, including many veterans and active duty troops, waiting to adopt them. Service members often must spend their own money and resources to be reunited with dogs they served next to. 

“There shouldn’t be unnecessary hurdles to reuniting our brave troops and the military working dogs they served alongside,” said Paulsen. “Now we guarantee that military working dogs will be retired and returned to the United States, making it easier and less expensive for them to be adopted.”

Paulsen spoke on the House floor about this legislation earlier this year. Video of that speech is available here.

While military working dogs have served in our military since WWI, there has been renewed focus on the plight of these dogs with the release of the motion picture, Max, this summer. An Arizona Republic article details the difficulty that some members of the military have when trying to bring these dogs home. The Star Tribune published an editorial supporting the legislation in July.

Congressman Paulsen, a champion of small business and advocate of free enterprise, entrepreneurship, and innovation, serves on the House Ways and Means Committee, the bicameral Joint Economic Committee, and is co-chair of the Congressional Medical Technology Caucus.

For more information on Congressman Paulsen’s work in Congress visit paulsen.house.gov. 

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