WASHINGTON 鈥� An April 3rd letter from a military contract officer laid out several complaints about the performance of Warrior Canine Connection, the group that trains veterans to train service dogs for their fellow disabled vets.
A letter sent to the firm managing the contract for Warrior Canine Connection complained about the 鈥渉ealth and well-being of animals, specifically as it pertains to standard precautions in a health care setting鈥�.
According to the letter, there had been several instances when dogs who appeared to be sick, described as unable to control their bowels, were brought to the National Intrepid Center of Excellence. The contract states that animals with any sign of illness 鈥� from runny noses to diarrhea 鈥� could not be brought to the facility.
The complaints also included concerns that the dogs suffering those signs of illness went untreated and that one dog had issues that 鈥渨ere allowed to persist for months.鈥� Rick Yount, Executive Director of Warrior Canine Connection told 小萝莉影视 Wednesday that there had been some concern about health issues among some dogs, but that a veterinarian was brought in and those issues were resolved.
Other complaints in the letter related to the qualifications of trainers. According to the letter signed by Contracting Officer Martin Rios, 鈥淪everal complaints showed that WCC was not and continues to not provide the required 鈥榯rained professionals鈥欌�� called for in the contract.
According to the letter, 鈥淭hese complaints also show that individuals hired for certain positions on this contract, do not meet the qualifications written in the contract, and these qualifications were never pursued in order to obtain contract compliance.鈥�
Marvin Davis, of MD Consulting in Waldorf, Maryland, was the prime contractor for Warrior Canine Connection. He told 小萝莉影视 that the issues in the April 3 letter 鈥渉ad been resolved鈥� and that they were not the cause of the stop-work order that Warrior Canine Connection got on Oct. 27.
Instead, Davis said, 鈥淏ased on my communications with the government, the letter of concern was not the basis of the stop-work order.鈥�
Davis said he was told 鈥淭he Walter Reed National Military Medical Center medical director wanted to go in a different direction as it related to the canine program at Walter Reed.鈥�
In an email statement on Thursday, Communications Director for Walter Reed Sandy Dean wrote to 小萝莉影视 to say that the stop-work order was issued 鈥渟o that we could restructure the contract to enhance oversight of patient care.鈥� She added that canine-assisted therapy programming would continue at Walter Reed, but didn鈥檛 say whether that would include dogs from Warrior Canine Connection.
Asked about the likelihood that Warrior Canine Connection would eventually return to work at Walter Reed and Fort Belvoir, Davis, the prime contractor for Warrior Canine Connection said, 鈥淚 could not answer that question. I just don鈥檛 know.鈥�
Yount, the Executive Director at Warrior Canine Connection, told 小萝莉影视 on Wednesday that no matter what happens with the contract, 鈥淲e鈥檙e going to continue serving veterans with the dogs in this program. We can鈥檛 stop. We know it鈥檚 invaluable.鈥�
Matt Moores, a retired Marine who was both treated at Walter Reed and eventually went to work for Warrior Canine Connection before stepping down in August, shared the same concerns about trainers鈥� qualifications that were outlined in the April 3 letter. While critical of the management at the nonprofit, Moores also said he supports the mission of the organization.
Moores said Warrior Canine Connection needs to be back at Fort Belvoir and Walter Reed. 鈥淏ut it needs to be done correctly. It needs to be led effectively. Not just for the patients, but for the staff who work so hard.鈥�
He added, 鈥淥ur wounded soldiers, airmen, marines, sailors 鈥� they deserve to have these dogs.鈥�
