---
title: "An elite Austrian soldier was apparently killed by the working dogs he was feeding"
description: "An Austrian soldier was apparently killed by two military working dogs that he was charged with feeding, the Austrian Ministry of Defense announced on Thursday"
date: "2019-11-15"
modified: "2019-11-15"
authors:
  - name: "Jared Keller"
    job_title: "Former Managing Editor"
    link: "https://taskandpurpose.com/authors/jaredkeller/"
url: "https://taskandpurpose.com/news/austrian-soldier-dog/"
categories:
  - "Around the World"
  - "Europe"
  - "News"
tags:
  - "European Command"
---

# An elite Austrian soldier was apparently killed by the working dogs he was feeding

![](<https://taskandpurpose.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/22082809-1.jpg>)

An Austrian soldier was apparently killed by two military working dogs that he was charged with feeding, the Austrian Ministry of Defense [announced](<https://noe.orf.at/stories/3021633/>) on Thursday.

The 31-year-old staff sergeant, [reportedly](<https://noe.orf.at/stories/3021633/>) a member of Austria's elite [Jagdkommando](<https://www.bundesheer.at/sk/lask/jakdo/index.shtml>) special operations force and a dog handler since 2017, was tasked with the care and feeding of two Belgian Shepherds at a barracks in the southern city of Wiener Neustadt, the Daily Mail [reports](<https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-7686365/Austrian-soldier-killed-two-Belgian-Shepherd-service-dogs-feeding-them.html>).

[According](<https://noe.orf.at/stories/3021633/>) to local Austrian broadcaster ORF, the barracks duty officer on Wednesday evening noticed the dogs "running loose" before stumbling upon the "fatally injured" soldier inside the animals' kennel.

"One of them is a trained military dog, another a very young one, a six months old, who has been standing up for training," Austrian Ministry of Defense spokesman Col. Michael Bauer [told](<https://noe.orf.at/stories/3021633/>) ORF.

"There is a suspicion that these two dogs are responsible for this terrible calamity," he added.

The Austrian Ministry of Defense has launched an investigation into the incident, as well as any past incidents involving the two dogs, ORF [reports](<https://noe.orf.at/stories/3021633/>).

The Austrian army has 170 military working dogs at its disposal, the Associated Press [reports](<https://apnews.com/2a1bed2797a9417db8a7f20743f108b0>); according to ORF, the service has worked with service dogs since 1964.

"Nobody has ever been hurt," Bauer [told](<https://noe.orf.at/stories/3021633/>) ORF.

## Author
Jared Keller is the former managing editor of Task & Purpose. His writing has appeared in Aeon, the Los Angeles Review of Books, the New Republic, Pacific Standard, Smithsonian, and The Washington Post, among other publications.

### Author social links  
[Twitter](<https://twitter.com/jaredbkeller>)  
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[LinkedIn](<https://www.linkedin.com/in/jaredbkeller/>)  
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