U.S. halts sending bomb-sniffing dogs to Jordan, Egypt as seven die

The U.S. State Department said on Monday it has stopped sending explosive-detecting dogs to Jordan and Egypt over concerns of deaths of deployed dogs from causes like heat stroke and poisoning. The decision came after the State Department's Office of Inspector General identified in September the deaths of two dogs sent to Jordan, the largest recipient of the dogs. Dogs already working in Jordan and Egypt will remain there while U.S. authorities demand measures to improve the animals' conditions and handling, a State Department official told reporters.