Four British Army dogs have paid the ultimate price

Four military dogs killed in action in Afghanistan
The Telegraph
25 Oct 2013

They are “vital” to military operations in Afghanistan but four British Army dogs have paid the ultimate price on the front line in the last three years, it has been revealed.

Four military dogs have died on the frontline Photo: ALAMY

One of the animals is understood to have been shot by Taliban insurgents while supporting British Special Forces soldiers on a secret operation.

The four dogs, two Labradors, a Springer spaniel cross and a Belgian shepherd died in Helmand province while working alongside their human comrades since March 2011.

The MOD said the role of the 11,000 dogs that work across the armed forces “cannot be underestimated."

Ric, a Belgian Shepard, "died as a result of enemy fire" in Helmand province in August this year the Ministry of Defence said. The MoD refused to give any more information about the incident but it is understood that the operations concerned invovled Special Forces troops.

The four dogs' deaths reveal the dangers that they face on the front line. In January a Labrador called Scout was killed in an IED explosion while out on routine patrol. Scout, an IED detection dog, was deployed in front of a patrol of an dismounted patrol and was killed instantly when he touched an IED.
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