Meet Lucca. She's no ordinary German Shepard. This 12-year-old heroic marine dog was just awarded the prestigious People's Dispensary for Sick Animals Dickin Medal for protecting the lives of allied troops in Iraq and Afghanistan.
During her 6 years of active duty, Lucca was skilled as a specialized search dog. She was trained to sniff out explosives and saved the lives of thousands, according to the U.S. Marines.
A heroic U.S. Marine Corps German shepherd that lost a leg sniffing out a roadside bomb in Afghanistan was awarded the world's highest honor for service dogs during a special ceremony.
Lucca, who served U.S. troops during more than 400 missions in Iraq and Afghanistan over a six-year span, received the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Dickin Medal at the Wellington Barracks in London.
She is the first Marine Corps dog to receive the medal, considered the top honor for war animals around the world.
Her handler, Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Willingham, said that it was an “incredible honor” to receive the award from the veterinary charity.
“It is very humbling to be part of this entire process,” he said. “I think more importantly is that Lucca's accomplishments are going to help bring awareness and recognition to all our military working dogs and their handlers.”
Check out the incredible story of Lucca the heroic US Marine Corps service dog on the next page!
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