Four-legged hero

Canine army recruit is a lifesaver

Sadie, a dog who helped save lots of lives in Afghanistan, has been given the highest honour for brave animals.

She was working with her handler Karen Yardley, in Kabul, when she sniffed out a very big bomb which had been hidden behind a wall in an army base.

It could have hurt or killed lots of people, so Sadie's medal is for her good work.

The brave dog has now retired and returned to Britain, where she will live safely and happily ever after with Karen's family.

The Dicken Medal

This award was instituted by a UK charity, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals, for pets in need of vetinary care, in memory of its founder, Maria Elizabeth Dicken, to honour animals in battle. It was first awarded in 1943 and was often regarded as the animals' Victoria Cross.

20070321-junior--herodog2.jpgFor civilian animals there is now the PDSA's Silver Medal, which does not require recipients to show bravery in battle and rewards animals that work in search and rescue or perform heroic acts simply in their own homes and environment.

Sign up to our free newsletters

Get the best updates straight to your inbox:

You can unsubscribe at any time by clicking the link in the footer of our emails. We use Mailchimp as our marketing platform. By subscribing, you acknowledge that your information will be transferred to Mailchimp for processing.