Army dog awarded highest honour for bravery during Taliban raid
Heroic hound was injured by three grenades but still managed to get troops to safety
A British special forces dog was awarded the highest military medal an animal can receive for saving the lives of Special Boat Service troops during their 2012 operation to remove armed Taliban forces from a multi-storey building in Afghanistan.
Mali, a Belgian Malinois, received the PDSA Dickin medal, the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross which is the UK’s highest honour for gallantry, reports The Guardian.
After being wounded by three grenade blasts, Mali still managed to find the locations of enemy fighters. This gave British troops the time they needed to react during eight hours of close-quarters combat.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
The eight-year-old dog was sent through direct fire twice and hoisted up the outside of the building to provide the assault force with a foothold. He sustained injuries to his chest, ear, front and rear legs and lost a front tooth after three explosions went off near him.
“Despite sustaining quite horrendous injuries, he absolutely stayed by his handler’s side and forged forward with them to help them carry out their duty,” Jan McLoughlin, director of the PDSA veterinary charity told the Telegraph. “It’s that gallantry and devotion to duty that we are recognising.”
Cpl Daniel Hatley trained Mali when he was a puppy. He told the Guardian, “I am extremely proud of Mali. The way he conducted himself when it mattered most enabled my colleagues to achieve success in close combat.”
Mali’s handler during the raid, who cannot be identified for security reasons, was also awarded a gallantry medal.
He said that Mali saved the lives of British and Afghan troops as they fought up floor by floor of the building. The dog went ahead to see if he could a find a safe route and stopped soldiers from entering an area filled with booby traps.
“By the time we launched on to this operation we really felt that we had a guardian angel amongst us, nothing was going to happen to us,” he told the Telegraph.
Mali becomes the 69th recipient of the award recognising animal bravery, since it was introduced in 1943. Previous winners were 32 dogs, 32 world war messenger pigeons, four horses and a cat.
During a visit to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Mali was caught chewing his prestigious award, proving he’s not letting the fame go to his head just yet.
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
DOJ settles with Nassar victims for $138M
Speed Read The settlement includes 139 sexual abuse victims of the former USA Gymnastics doctor
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
14 recent scientific breakthroughs
In Depth From photos of the infant universe to an energy advancement that could save the planet
By Devika Rao, The Week US Published
-
Who will win the 2024 presidential election?
In Depth Election year is here. Who are pollsters and experts predicting to win the White House?
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
The issue of women and conscription
Under the radar Ukraine military adviser hints at widening draft to women, as other countries weigh defence options amid global insecurity
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
Grant Shapps goes to war on military's 'woke' diversity policies
Talking Point Defence secretary condemns 'extremist culture' as Army reportedly plans to relax security checks on overseas recruits
By The Week UK Published
-
The Taliban’s ‘unprecedented’ crackdown on opium poppy crops in Afghanistan
feature Cultivation in former poppy-growing heartland Helmand has been slashed from 120,000 hectares to less than 1,000
By Julia O'Driscoll Published
-
The recent rise in fatal dog attacks
feature Two deaths in January prompt fears that ‘something has changed in the way humans and dogs interact’
By Fred Kelly Published
-
Milan pizza trip costs less than Domino’s
feature And other stories from the stranger side of life
By Chas Newkey-Burden Published
-
Can the UK rely on the British Army to defend itself?
Today's Big Question Armed forces in ‘dire state’ and no longer regarded as top-level fighting force, US general warns
By The Week Staff Published
-
Taliban returns to ‘Stone Age Islamism’ in Afghanistan
feature Taliban leaders view ‘complete gender segregation’ as a recipe for a ‘truly Islamic system’
By The Week Staff Published
-
Taliban releases 2 Americans held in Afghanistan
Speed Read
By Catherine Garcia Published