Don't forget our Pets on Armistice Day

Don't forget our Pets on Armistice Day

Don't forget our Pets on Armistice Day

We stand again at this time of year to remember and honour those who have given their all to protect these shores. But let's not forget a small band of loyal soldiers who also give their all to protect us, mainly our four legged furry friend the dog, but in the past horses, cats, pigeons and more.

Dickin Medal

The Dickin Medal is the animal version of The Victoria Cross. The medal was instituted by Maria Dickin, founder of the Peoples Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), in 1943 for animals that have displayed "conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty while serving or associated with any branch of the Armed Forces or Civil Defence Units".

From 1943 to 1949 the medal was awarded to 32 pigeons, 18 dogs, 3 horses and Simon the cat. Simon was the ships cat aboard HMS Amethyst during the Yangtze Incident in 1949. One award, to a Collie named Rob, was made after he had made over 20 parachute descents while serving with the Special Air Service (SAS) during the North African Campaign!

Sadie was awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal on 6 February 2007 along with her handler Lance Corporal Karen Yardley.

Sadie's job was to search for hidden weapons and explosives. After two attacks from the Taliban in the same area, Sadie and Karen were sent in to search for hidden bombs which might have been left. Sadie found an unexploded device hidden in a wall, set to go off when rescuers approached.

Bomb disposal experts were able to disarm the bomb and no one was injured.

Thanks to Sadie and Karen, a lot of lives saved that day.

The most recent recipient of the Dickin Medal is Treo, an eight year old Labrador. Treo, accompanied by his handler Sgt Dave Heyhoe, was presented with his Medal by Princess Alexandra at a ceremony held at the Imperial War Museum on 24th February 2010. Treo was working with the 1st Battalion Royal Irish Regiment as a forward detection dog in Sangin, Afghanistan, in August and September 2008 when he found two concealed daisy chain' Improvised Explosive Devices (IED's). It is without doubt that Treo's actions and devotion to duty saved many lives on both occasions.

Machinery has replaced the horse and they are now employed mainly on ceremonial duties while dogs, until the start of hostilities in Iraq and Afghanistan, were in the main to be found assisting in the guarding of static military establishments. Since the invasion of Iraq in 2003 dogs can now be found working on operations in The Gulf area where their contribution cannot be over estimated.

Dogs are recruited' into the military in many ways. Some have been abandoned or left for dead by their owners with others found tied to lampposts or thrown out of cars and rescued from neglect.

Over the years animals have worked, and died, in the service of the Crown but one phrase has always been foremost where soldiers and animals in the military are concerned:

"Animal first Self second"

James Jay

Pets Bureau

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