FAMOUS WARDOGS

ENGLISH Springer Spaniel Theo served as a bomb detector dog for the British Army in Afghanistan.

His handler Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was killed by a sniper in March 2011.

Theo, described as a “true friend” to the soldier, suffered a huge seizure and died a few hours later.

The pair found 14 hidden bombs and weapons caches in just five months on their first tour of duty in Afghanistan.

The 22-month-old dog’s success meant his stay in the country was extended by a month.

Theo was awarded the Dickin Medal – known as the animals’ Victoria Cross, in 2012.

Liam’s mother Jane Duffy, from Fife, said at the time: “I would like to believe he died of a broken heart to be with Liam.” ST BERNARD Bamse was part of the crew of Thorodd, a Norwegian minesweeper.

When Germany occupied Norway in 1940, the ship and her crew escaped to Britain.

Bamse became well known to the people of Montrose and Dundee, where the Thorodd was stationed for much of the war.

He roamed the streets of the seaside towns looking for crew members who were out past curfew.

He once leapt into the water to save a drowning crewmate. On another occasion, he disarmed a knife-wielding man attacking one of the ship’s officers.

Bamse died in 1944 and was buried with full military honours. A statue commemorating him now stands in Montrose. BELGIAN Malinois Cairo joined a team of US navy SEALS when they stormed Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan in May 2011. He was on the trip to detect bombs, ferret out enemies and sniff out secret doors or passageways in the Al qaeda safe house. Cairo helped to secure the perimeter of the building in Abbottabad. When the then president Barack Obama met the soldiers after the operation, he demanded to see Cairo. The SEAL team commander said: “If you want to meet the dog, Mr President, I advise you to bring treats.”