A Dog's Life

From law enforcement to herding livestock and protecting endangered animals, dogs serve us in many important ways.

- Amanda Burdon

Australian army special operations military working dog Kuga had been in the Uruzgan province in central Afghanistan for several months when he went beyond the call of duty. Patrolling with the Special Air Service Regiment (SASR) on 26 August 2011, the Belgian Malinois alerted his handler to trouble ahead. Released to investigate, Kuga crossed a river and exposed “an enemy ambush position”.

In the small arms and heavy machine-gun exchange of fire that ensued, he was shot five times but continued to engage the enemy until recalled. “I’m pretty proud of what Kuga did that day,” his handler, Sergeant J, said. “He’s the one who chose to take bullets for both me and my mates and, ultimately, that enabled me to come home to my family.”

Sadly, despite being evacuated by helicopter and treated for his injuries, Kuga died in Australia in 2012. His heroism, however, was not forgotten. He was posthumously awarded the (UK-based) People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals’ Dickin Medal for conspicuous gallantry, in recognition of his “extraordinary courage and dedication”. Kuga was the first Australian dog to receive the award.

More than 260 military working dogs serve with Australian Defence Force personnel. Some provide security for military bases. Others are expert at detecting explosives or are search-and-rescue specialists. At times they support peace-keeping efforts.

Whether home or abroad, working dogs also protect us from imported diseases, pests, weapons and narcotics. In 2017-18 alone, Australian Border Force’s 58 detector dogs prevented 2500 such prohibited substances and items from entering our country through the post and air and sea ports. Sniffing out criminals and contraband in jails are other equally noble tasks.