10 U.S.C. § 2653 — Evacuation of family pets and contract working dogs during noncombatant evacuations of foreign countries
submitted 1 year ago by Pub. L. 119-60 to r/title-10-ARMED-FORCES · 190 words · no verdicts yet
During a Department of Defense evacuation of noncombatants from a foreign country, the Secretary of Defense may make agreements with nonprofit organizations to evacuate certain pets and contract working dogs. The authority is limited by veterinary-care, capacity, and safety rules.
(a) Evacuation authority. Subject to subsection (b), when the Department of Defense evacuates noncombatants from a foreign country, the Secretary of Defense may make agreements with appropriate nonprofit organizations to evacuate the family pets of evacuated United States citizens and contract working dogs in that country.
(b) Limits. (1) The Department is not responsible for veterinary care because a pet or dog is evacuated under subsection (a). (2) The Secretary may not use this authority if doing so would reduce the number of people who otherwise would be evacuated. (3) A vehicle operator may refuse to evacuate a pet or contract working dog if the operator decides that doing so would create a safety risk to other passengers or personnel.
Subject to the limitations under subsection (b), in the event of a situation during which the Department of Defense evacuates noncombatants from a foreign country, the Secretary of Defense may enter into agreements with appropriate nonprofit entities under which such entities provide for the evacuation of—
the family pets of citizens of the United States who are evacuated by the Department; and
contract working dogs located in such country.
The limitations under this subsection are as follows:
The Department of Defense is not responsible for providing veterinary care for a family pet or contract working dog by reason of the evacuation of the pet or dog pursuant to subsection (a).
The Secretary may not exercise the authority under subsection (a) if the exercise of such authority would result in a reduction in the number of individuals who would otherwise be evacuated.
The operator of a vehicle used for evacuation may refuse to evacuate a family pet or contract working dog if the operator determines that the evacuation would create a safety risk to other passengers or personnel.
Source credit: (Added Pub. L. 119–60, div. A, title III, § 372, Dec. 18, 2025, 139 Stat. 836.)
- 2025Enacted · Pub. L. 119-60 · 139 Stat. 836
A history note hasn’t been published yet. The record shows enactment by Pub. L. 119-60 on 2025-12-18.
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