Antiterrorism Dogs—

CNG Military Kennel Project Proceeding

At Fairfield Hills

By Andrew Gorosko

Construction work is continuing on a Connecticut National Guard (CNG) military dog kennel at Fairfield Hills, where German shepherds will be trained for antiterrorism work, including explosives sniffing and drug sniffing.

CNG Lieutenant Colonel Jerry Lukowski said last week that the $2.3 million kennel construction project is approximately 25 percent complete. Lt Col Lukowski is the CNG’s construction and facilities management officer.

Lt Col Lukowski, said the organization expects to complete construction by mid-September. The kennel is expected to be in operation within a few weeks of its completion, he said.

A farm building at Fairfield Hills, commonly known as “the piggery,” was largely demolished to create a construction site for the kennel. The piggery’s hay barn, however, was retained to serve as the visual centerpiece for the kennel.

The kennel is being built to house six military dogs, with space for up to 12 dogs. The CNG kennel will be the first such dog unit built for the military reserve in the United States. Roads leading to the area have been fenced off to keep out unauthorized vehicles and people.

The approximately 5,000-square-foot kennel will be staffed on a daily basis. It is unclear whether any type of dog other than German shepherds would be housed there. A military dog-handling team will be attached to the kennel.

Lt Col Lukowski said the CNG is now recruiting staff members who would work at the kennel. It is expected that both current CNG members and new members will staff the facility. Staff members will be full-time guardsmen. The facility should be fully staffed by early 2006, he said.

The kennel will have a staff of seven, including one handler for each of the six dogs and one kennel master, who would manage the kennel, Lt Col Lukowski said.

To the east of the kennel, an approximately 3.5-acre dog workout site will be constructed. The site, which will contain an obstacle course, will be used for dog training. 

The kennel site is being built in a relatively isolated area, but it has easy access to Interstate 84. The site is northeast of the Governor’s Horse Guard.

Planning for the project was underway before the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, according to Lt Col Lukowski.

The 1,867-square-foot piggery was built in 1932. It was used for hog raising at Fairfield Hills, a state psychiatric hospital which closed in 1995.