There was no compelling reason except Trump’s ego to even announce a K9 was used in the operation.
I’d read about how some of the amazing DEA K9’s* could sniff out drugs even when they were hidden in creative ways like sealing them in lead containers and surrounded by strong scented food like liver and then sealing them inside a tank truck. Here’s a story about the dog showed the photo above.
.
More about the beagles you see at airports. Here’s a story about one of the most famous ones.
.
I’ve also read about how beagles have an acute sense of smell and also are being used not only to detect drugs but also by people trying to sneak plants, meat, or other agricultural products into the country. They are members of the Beagle Brigade.
.
As a reserve police officer for 20 years I’ve known several K9 officers and their more elaborately uniformed partners who consider them their partner as if they were human.
.
I had one occasion to observe a cadaver sniffing dog work from a boat trying to locate someone who downed in a pond abuting our property.
.
K9’s are not merely dogs just as seeing eye dogs and medically trained epilepsy dogs are not just dogs. They do jobs in many instances far better than human beings and machines can do. Does can be trained to detect prostate cancer and scientists are trying to match their skill with machines. They are also showing promise in detecting cervical cancer, Mesothelioma, and other cancers.
Translation of tweet: Despite being 6 years old, the shadow agent has plenty of vitality 🐶 has been recognized because it protects the lives of children and adolescents from the deadly poison of drugs. Everyone wants it and you can take your selfie at the airport @BOG_ELDORADO. Wow 🐶
.
In Britain a Gang Put a Bounty on Sniffer Dog's Head After 'Scamp' Locates Millions of Dollars' Worth of Illegal Tobacco (story includes video). This is not unusual. Military snipers don’t target just any enemy combatants. The put officers in their crosshairs. This is why in combat officers often don’t wear prominent insignia advertising their rank.
“The magic words are “subdued insignia.” One does not want to stand out in a combat zone. Unfortunately, the commander is usually with his Radio Operator close by, which is a clue as to who is in charge. Both become priority targets”….. “We learned long ago not to salute and officer on the battlefield. It's too easy for a sniper to set up and observe a group of soldiers and determine who our leaders are. So we take great care to not point them out by saluting.” Quora
Sniper are trained to observe behavior to determine who the leaders are. K9 soldiers are different. Any sniper knows they are a high value target.
Police and other K9’s who are killed in the line of duty receive an official police funeral like any other officer. In fact there are official guidelines for the ceremony for K9’s. They are called “The Rocky Protocol,” named I think after a K9 named Rocky.
.
By now you know that Trump has revealed classified information about how a Delta Force K9 was used at great peril to itself to capture Baghdadi. Trump, who uses the word “dog” repeatedly to condemn his enemies, and is a known dog hater and unlike most presidents does not have a dog in the White House, even as a companion to his son Barron.
.
With the ultimate power of who and what is classified he took it upon himself to declassify a photo of the K9. To make matters worse he pinned it to the top of his Twitter page. Note that even in his tweet Trump diminished the hero by calling it (we don’t know its gender) a dog instead of a K9. You don't call a soldier killed in action just a man or woman, you call them a soldier or Marine.
.
Not that ISIS can discriminate one Belgian Malinois (correction — I previously identified the K9 as a German Shepherd ** ) from another, but it is clear that if they were high priority targets for our enemies in the Mideast and elsewhere, they are now.
.
Thanks a lot, ego-maniac and dog hater Donald Trump.
Footnotes
* Trump probably doesn't know why K9’s (or K-9’s, both are used interchangeably) are called K9’s because it is shorthand for canine. See Wikipedia
** Belgian Malinois is a breed favored by the military for sensitive missions, according to a Defense Department official not authorized to speak publicly. A Belgian Malinois accompanied Navy SEALs on the raid that killed Osama bin Laden. Reference