Dogs are probably the world’s greatest source of unconditional love. You don’t have to do much to earn the love of a dog. A scratch behind the ears, a bowl of food, and boom. You’ve got your new best friend. For thousands of years, people have relied on the love of dogs for companionship and protection.
In the modern age, we sometimes ask even more of dogs. Dogs do everything from providing emotional support to lending their sensitive noses to war efforts. One such dog, Lucca, lost her front leg in an explosion in Afghanistan in 2012. She was sniffing for roadside explosives and one went off, gravely injuring her. According to Bark Post, US Marine Cpl. Juan Rodriguez was her handler at the time and said:
“The explosion was huge and I immediately feared the worst for Lucca. I ran to her and saw her struggling to get up. I picked her up and ran to the shelter of a nearby tree line; applied a tourniquet to her injured leg and called the medics to collect us. I stayed with her constantly throughout her operation and her recovery. She had saved my life on so many occasions—I had to make sure that I was there for her when she needed me.”
Now, Lucca is being honored for her contribution to the war effort with the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals‘ (PDSA) Dickin Medal. Created in 1943 by PDSA’s founder Maria Dickin CBE. Since 1943, this is the highest honor for animals who have served in war. There have been 67 Dickin medals awarded — Lucca will be the first American service animal to receive it.
These days, Lucca is retired from military service and lives with Gunnery Sergeant Christopher Willingham in California.
We all salute you, Lucca. Thank you for your service!
You can watch Lucca's story below:
