"There have always been wars. And animals that were abused for it, because war would be unthinkable without the massive use of animals – be it for transport and communication, be it as food or as emotional support for the soldiers. Think of the beasts of burden, or chariots with horses, which were often covered in leather so that they could not be killed immediately. Because of their special abilities, animals were trained in wars to be used as messengers, spies, guards, medics, mine-sweeping dogs or living bombs. Mules, donkeys, oxen and dogs were also used for transport purposes, and camels were also used on the fronts in the Middle East. Dogs were the most diversely used species: their highly developed senses were used as guard and signaling dogs, they were used to track down injured people or hidden enemies, but they were also used in teams as draft animals and, last but not least, as mascots. In addition to thousands of dogs, numerous carrier pigeons were used to transmit information to points that were difficult to reach.
The role of the animal as a slaughter animal in the literal sense was just as important in the war effort: in addition to the species common in times of peace, everything that was edible ended up in the soldiers' soup bowls in times of need in the hinterland as well as at the front.
However, the animals died not only because of the acts of war themselves – but also because of the side effects of the war: the massing of animals at certain points and the often bad conditions in which they were kept led to increased illnesses. In horses, it was mainly so-called "Rotz" (glander), a disease of the upper respiratory tract, lungs and skin, which was almost always fatal if left untreated, and in dogs it was mange. Although there were separate treatment facilities (hospitals) for horses and dogs, in which some lucky specimens received relief, the majority of them died in agony…"
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