The Mine Detection and Dog Center in Afghanistan

(Tuesday 16 July 2002 Washington DC) The participants to "Building a Peaceful Future for Afghanistan: A Total Ban on Anti-Personnel Mines" will visit the impressive Mine Detection and Dog Center (MDC).

The Mine Detection and Dog Center (MDC) started out in 1989 with the donation of a dozen mine detection dogs from Thailand. Now the centre has 17 Mine Dog Groups (for mine clearance) and 33 Mine Dog Sets (for mine survey operations) and deploys these teams in different regions of Afghanistan. They also have a training program and a breeding program which produces 30 to 40 puppies each year. Several veterinarians and 18 paravets care for the dogs and operate its clinics and pharmacy.

Dogs at MDC. Photo by Brian Liu.

The Mine Dog Groups -- which are each made up of 4 dogs, 4 handlers, 12 deminers and several support staff -- clear between 4,000 and 5,000 square meters per day. Mine detection dogs can help speed up manual clearance by as much as 50 percent and the MDC teams clear between 2,000 and 5,000 square meters a day.

Contact: Mohammad Shohab Hakimi, Director, email: SPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERliwal.com">mdcSPAMFLTER@SPATMFLTERliwal.com