The Highest Animal Honor Is Given To A Hero Dog With Prosthetic Paws That Survived Gunfire To Save Others
Kuno, a four-year-old Belgian Malinois, served in Afghanistan with British special forces.
Kuno, a Belgian Malinois, has shown beyond a shadow of a doubt that dogs are actually man’s greatest friend. When assisting British special forces to combat Al Qaeda, the former British Army
Working Dog sustained life-changing injuries.
Kuno was shot in both rear legs while tackling a shooter during a raid.
As a result of losing one of his paws, he was the first UK military dog to get a custom-made prostheses.
Credit: Kingdomstv
That’s the equivalent of receiving the Victoria Cross, the British equivalent of the Medal of Honor.
In a statement on the prize, Jan McLoughlin of the PDSA veterinary charity stated, “Kuno is a genuine hero.” Kuno received the medal for his extraordinary courage during a 2019 operation in Afghanistan.
Kuno and his handler were deployed in Afghanistan on a night raid targeting al-Qaeda extremists when they were attacked. Unfortunately, the assault team was pinned down by a hail of grenades and machine-gun fire delivered by an insurgent hiding in the complex and using night vision goggles.
Credit: Kingdomstv
Kuno was ordered in to break the standoff because the British and Afghan soldiers were unable to maneuver without suffering losses.
He raced through a shower of gunfire while wearing night-vision goggles, wrestling the shooter to the ground and putting an end to his onslaught. Kuno ran through the compound’s entryway to tackle the insurgent, who had already crippled one militant and uncovered a store of buried bombs during the raid.
The gunman was startled by Kuno’s appearance and shot indiscriminately into the darkness, hurting the dog in both hind legs. Despite his severe leg wounds, Kuno pressed on and launched himself at the gunman, biting his arm and wrestling with him.
Credit: Kingdomstv
Until the assault squad entered the courtyard and evacuated the building, the heroic dog continued to attack the Al-Qaeda warrior. He just took a break after that. “His efforts that day certainly altered the direction of a crucial operation, saving a number of lives in the process.”
And, despite catastrophic, life-altering injuries, he never wavered in his duty,” McLoughlin said in the statement. “We are thrilled to welcome him as the newest winner of the PDSA Dickin for his bravery and commitment to duty.”
After a bullet narrowly missed his major artery, he required numerous life-saving procedures before being able to return to the United Kingdom for additional care.
Credit: Kingdomstv
Kuno undertook a protracted rehabilitation regimen to restore function to his nerves and muscles, similar to that of injured troops, and is claimed to have particularly loved his sessions on the hydrotherapy treadmill.
Thankfully, the brave dog has recovered completely from his operation and is now the first U.K.
Military Working Dog to get custom-made prosthetic limbs. He’s “in good spirits and health,” according to the PDSA.
https://app.asana.com/0/1135954362417873/1199353296379021/f
Credit: PDSA
“Without Kuno, the path of this operation may have taken a very different turn, and it’s certain that he saved British lives that day.”
Credit: Kingdomstv
“This raid was one of the most significant victories against al Qaeda in recent years.” I am really proud of the role that our military working dogs perform in both domestic and international missions.
Retired military dog Kuno is to receive the prestigious PDSA Dickin Medal for valour – the animal Victoria Cross – after he was wounded in action while heroically saving the lives of British Forces fighting Al Qaeda.
During a dangerous operation in 2019, three-year-old Belgian Shepherd Malinois Kuno and his handler were deployed in support of specialist UK and host nation forces on a compound raid against a well-armed and aggressive enemy when they came under attack.
Pinned down by grenade and machine-gun fire from an insurgent, the assault force was unable to move without taking casualties.
Without hesitation, Kuno charged through a hail of gunfire to tackle the gunman, breaking the deadlock and changing the course of the attack, allowing the mission to be completed successfully.
During the assault Kuno was wounded by bullets in both back legs. He was given life-saving treatment by his handler and by medics in the back of a helicopter.
His injuries were so severe he required several operations before he was stable enough to fly back to the UK. Sadly, part of one of Kuno’s rear paws had to be amputated to prevent life-threatening infection.
But now he is thriving after becoming the first UK military working dog to be fitted with custom made prosthetic limbs.Hospital. Picture by Shaun Fellows / Shine Pix Ltd
Notes to Editors
At PDSA we believe that every pet deserves to live a happy and healthy life. As the UK’s leading veterinary charity, with 51 Pet Hospitals and over 380 Pet Practices, we strive to improve pets’ lives – through prevention, education and treatment.
Every year our dedicated veterinary teams carry out 2.7 million treatments on 470,000 pets. For media enquiries contact the Press Office on 01952 797234, email [email protected]
