I read of at least 2 Soldiers who contracted rabies from adopting the feral dogs in Afghanistan, against standing orders.
Unfortunately, both were too far along for treatment by the time the docs figured out why they were sick. Both died.
May I ask where you read this...?
The policy shouldn’t make it necessary for animal lovers to hide their dogs or cats. The policy should allow for soldiers to have their pets screened by veterinarians, and vaccinated. Troops can pay for it out of their own checks. These zero-tolerance policies are a pathway to failure, and often remove some of our best and brightest for foolish reasons, or even lead to death in the cases you cite. Leadership positions are so often filled with fools and sycophants. It’s a shame, really.