HEART BEAT AT MY FEET Loyal to the End

I was not just moved to tears but totally shattered on reading the news of the dog which took a lethal bullet in his body as he was let into a room where a terrorist was suspected to be holed up.

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Not just a bullet, but there were over 10 wound marks all over his body, as well as a broken femur, as the post-mortem later showed.

This was in Kashmir, the dog named Axel, a trained two-year-old Belgian Malinois became the red herring in the plot. As soon as he entered the room, he was fired upon by terrorists hiding in there. Consequently, an exchange of firing ensued between the troops and the terrorist, and once the operation was over, Axel's body was retrieved. His bravery, no doubt, helped save the lives of the soldiers, but the deep feeling of bereavement his loss generated within millions of animal lovers, was not assuaged. A solemn wreath-laying ceremony and burial of brave Axel did take place, where the 26 Army Dog Squad Unit and Axel's handler paid respects to the fallen canine soldier.

The army regularly uses trained sniffer dogs. In addition to Belgian Malinois, they also use Labradors, German Shepherds, Great Swiss Mountain Dogs, and even Cocker Spaniels in small numbers. And many of them lose their lives. All we can do is feel sad and say a prayer for their souls.