Soldiers are supposed to defend a country’s territory and liberty, yet many a soldier’s story involves a dog prepared to lay its life on the line merely to rescue theirs.
To be honest, military dogs receive a great deal of attention throughout their service. However, once they leave retirement, these heroic canines are frequently forgotten and left to a store of memories.
Military dogs, we didn’t realize, play an important role in military tasks. When it comes to finding enemies, their keen sense of smell provides them a significant edge. They can also detect when an opponent is coming, making them ideal for military base camps.
These dogs have also been trained to identify snipers from afar, explosive devices, and injured soldiers over a long distance. On the battlefield, these heroic dogs undoubtedly saved tens of thousands (if not millions) of soldiers and even civilians.
Unfortunately, despite all of their “wonderful jobs,” some people regard them as nothing more than “just another item” rather than a valuable member of the military team. These army dogs are just a plain sight of fury and anger in their eyes.
When these former hero dogs approach retirement age, they frequently do not have a place to call home.Worse, they might be transported to animal shelters or possibly put down.
While trying to save the lives of many soldiers, a US military dog named Layka was ruthlessly shot four times by the enemy at point-blank range. Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald, the dog’s handler, tried all he could to adopt her following the sad occurrence. And he did it in the face of a torrent of criticism from his friends.
The courageous dog, a Belgian Malinois, is now living happily with Sargent McDonald and his family, and National Geographic published her amazing story of bravery and survival on their YouTube page.
“On the day Layka got shot in May, instantly I felt the sense of urgency to fix her.” Julian told the camera. “I owe this dog everything from this day here on out, with my son, with my mother, with my family… I owe her everything.”
Despite being gravely hurt by the gunfire, Layka managed to fight and overpower the gunman. Her bravery and devotion saved the other soldiers from Sargent McDonald’s team.
“I felt terrible since I was the one who had her locked up in the building.” Julian paused for a moment. “But at the same moment, I was relieved that I was still alive, as were my friends to my left and right.”
Unfortunately, her courage cost her a leg, and it was determined that she could no longer serve as a military dog. It had a significant impact on her life! Julian was there, thankfully, and he adopted her, providing her with a lifelong home and family.
“She saved my life, that’s why I’m here. I owed it to her, and that’s why I fought so hard to adopt her, even when people were saying ‘she’s too aggressive.’ They deserve good homes.” Julian said.
Layka quickly adapted to being a family dog by showing nothing but tender love and care to Julian’s one-year-old son.
