It’s OK to throw this bomb-sniffing hero a bone
Mali just the latest to win British medal for valor by animal
War has long made heroes of women and men. But animals also have shown gallantry in battle stretching back centuries, including dogs, bears, cats, a duck and even a goat called Sergeant Bill.
In World War I, Sergeant Bill, who hailed from Saskatchewan and was called Billy by his comrades, was credited with helping to save three Canadian soldiers by butting them into a mud-filled trench just seconds before a shell exploded.
During his military career, Bill also was arrested for chewing army property and suffered from trench foot. After the war, he returned home to Canada and, following his death, was stuffed and put on display at the Broadview Historical Museum in Saskatchewan.
Decades later, an American carrier pigeon called GI Joe saved as many as 1,000 lives during World War II by flying 20 miles in 20 minutes with a message warning Allied forces not to bomb an Italian village that had been retaken by the British.
Medal awarded 69 times
Now, in the latest example of animal valor, a Belgian Malinois dog — a sort of golden German shepherd — that was badly injured by shrapnel in Afghanistan has been awarded the Dickin Medal, Britain’s highest award for animal bravery, for helping to sniff out Taliban militants and their booby traps during a mission by Afghan and British Special Forces in Afghanistan in 2012.
The Dickin Medal has been awarded 69 times since it was established in 1943. Its recipients include 32 pigeons — GI Joe among them — 32 dogs, four horses and one cat. (The cat, Simon, helped protect food supplies from a rat infestation aboard a naval vessel in 1949.)
The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals, the veterinary charity behind the award, said Friday that the dog, Mali, was being recognized for saving lives during a treacherous assignment when British and Afghan forces were deployed to secure a building in Kabul where armed insurgents were hiding.
The charity said that Mali had braved gunfire to search for explosives, and also had played a pivotal role by helping to sniff out enemy militants. He “indicated the presence of insurgents numerous times, giving the assault force vital milliseconds to engage the enemy in close quarter combat,” it said in a statement.
Steadfast during long raid
The dog’s handler, whose name was not given for security reasons, said in a video tribute that Mali had proved steadfast during the 8½-hour raid, even as several grenades exploded, helping prevent soldiers from losing arms and legs.
“It was only when the adrenaline started to cease that reality bit and I took stock of what had happened to my dog,” he said. “There was blood running down his legs and he had a big hole in the top of his ear.”
Mali recovered from his injuries and, after the battle, was relieved of front line duty. Now, at 8 years old, he is a member of the Royal Veterinary Corps where, among other tasks, he assists in the training of dog handlers.