Mali, an eight-year-old Belgian Malinois, is no ordinary dog. She is trained to sniff out explosives and insurgents (enemy troops) and for her bravery he has been awarded the Dickin Medal. The medal is equivalent to a Victoria Cross which is awarded to armed forces who have done an act of bravery. Except the Dickin medal is just for animals.
On 15 November, Mali was awarded the medal for bravery and life-saving skills while fighting in Afghanistan in 2012. Mali helped save British lives in a special mission that lasted seven and a half hours, sniffing out insurgents and explosives, despite being in the direct gunfire line. The brave canine was seriously hurt by gunfire, injured on the front legs and the chest. Luckily it made a full recovery back in England.
Mali has now retired but is helping teach other dogs to save the lives of the British soliders. Mali’s current owner, Corporal Daniel Hatley, says he is “extremely proud” of her and the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), the charity that awarded Mali the medal says Mali dislayed “truly awesome ability and determination”.