On Thursday, June 7, 2018, the traditional military dog naming ceremony for two Labrador puppies took place at the Kaisersteinbruch Military Dog Center. Defense Minister Mario Kunasek took over the godparenthood for the two young dogs named “Wilson” and “Wily”.
By donning their badge, the puppies symbolically enter the service of the Austrian Armed Forces and begin their training as explosive ordnance detection dogs. “The service dogs are not only loyal companions of every military dog handler, they also make a significant contribution when it comes to the safety of our soldiers. These well-trained dogs have the ability to track scents, detect people under rubble or dangerous ordnance in crisis areas. I am delighted to take over the sponsorship of these two puppies,” said Defense Minister Kunasek.
The military dog center in Burgenland breeds service dogs and trains them for the armed forces. The trainers prepare their dogs for deployment on an area of around eight hectares. There are currently 126 military dog handlers preparing their protégés for deployment at home and abroad. There are currently 164 military dogs serving in the Austrian Armed Forces, including 44 sniffer dogs, four special hunting command dogs, one AFDRU rescue dog, 70 protection dogs, ten hunting dogs and 35 young and breeding dogs.
