Kuno, a Belgian Malinois, has proven beyond all reasonable doubt that dogs are indeed mankind’s best friends.
The retired British Army dog received the Dickin Medal from the People’s Dispensary for Sickly Animals, the ideal award any animal can receive in the British army, after suffering permanently disabling injuries while assisting British Explicit Forces in their fight against Al Qaeda (PDSA). To put it into human terms, winning the Victoria Pass, the British version of the Medal of Honor, would be the animal equivalent.
In a statement about the award, Jan McLoughlin from the PDSA veterinary charity said that Kuno “may be an actual hero.” Kuno received the award for his extraordinary bravery during a 2019 operation in Afghanistan.
The four-year-old army dog was once used in the operation to assist British soldiers as they attacked a heavily fortified Al-Qaeda compound. Unfortunately, a rebellion armed with night-sight goggles who had hidden himself inside the compound forced the attack force to become pinned down with a vital barrage of grenades and machine-gun fireside. It was up to Kuno to break the impasse because the British and Afghan troops were unable to move without sustaining casualties.
Kuno, who had already put down one rebellion and discovered a cache of hidden explosives during the raid, was introduced by his handler and then sprinted through the compound’s doorway to attack the rebellion.
The shooter was startled by Kuno’s sudden appearance and fired wildly into the night, hitting the dog in all four of its hind legs. Kuno persisted in pushing on, threw himself at the shooter, biting his arm and pinning him to the ground. Despite suffering serious leg injuries, the dog persisted in attacking the Al-Qaeda member until the attack force arrived in the courtyard and cleared the area.
Then, and only then, did he finally relax. “His actions that day undoubtedly altered a crucial undertaking, saving many lives in the process. And despite serious, life-altering wounds, he carried out his duty without flinching,” McLoughlin continued in the press release. We are honored to welcome him as the newest recipient of the PDSA Dickin because of his bravery and commitment to upholding the law.
Together with his agent, Kuno traveled back to the United Kingdom. | Credit score ranking: PDSA Kuno’s second set of legs were unfortunately severely damaged by the bullets fired by the Al Qaeda fighter, with one bullet narrowly missing a major artery. Kuno required numerous operations before he was finally secure enough to return to the U.K., despite receiving life-saving discipline treatment from doctors in a helicopter.
In order to prevent potentially fatal infections, this integrated amputating a portion of one between his back paws. Fortunately, the heroic dog has since fully recovered from his surgery and has become the first dog in the U.K. Military to receive individualized prosthetic limbs.
British coverage secretary Ben Wallace said in the release, “I’m delighted that Kuno will download the PDSA Dickin Medal. It is a testament to his training, unwavering bravery, and commitment to responsibility that lives were saved that day. “I am very pleased with the roles that our army working dogs play in other nations and at operations reception. Kuno’s story serves as a reminder of the lengths to which animals will go to keep us all safe. Kuno is the 72nd person to receive the Dickin Medal since its creation in December 1943, at the height of World War II.