The Top 5 Military Animal Stories You May Not Know

Animals have always demonstrated a propensity to protect their owner or handler. It can be because of their strong emotional connection with the ones that handle them. Most of the animals end up building a close relationship with humans and going to any extent to offer protection.

The Top 5 Military Animal Stories You May Not Know

There are many accounts of animals assisting people in their daily lives as well as in the military. This typically occurs because they develop an unbreakable bond with humans.

Troops and war animals, in particular, establish a strong sense of trust because for each other on the battlefield. This is why the military sends them out to hunt down enemies and trusts them with their every move. Animals, for example, use their acute senses of sound and smell to sniff bombs and locate hostile aircraft – tasks that are beyond human capabilities. 

We’d like to pay tribute by sharing some stories you may not know about these hard-working animals. We have listed here interesting military animals’ facts that you should know:

Here Are Some Stories That You May Not Know

1. The desert canine

Private Jim Moody discovered Horrie, a male terrier puppy, starving in the Libyan desert in 1941. He quickly became the 2/1st Machine Gun Battalion’s mascot, offering comfort and companionship to thousands of Australian Diggers.

 2. ‘Wee Jock,’ The Pikeman’s Dog

For many hours on the frontline in 1854, a terrier called “Wee Jock” guarded the body of his master. Wee Jock’s owner was mortally wounded, and he lay unclaimed for the rest of the fighting. Wee Jock, his dog, showed unwavering loyalty to his master in the face of danger by remaining by his side during the war. When the body was being carried to the graveyard, Wee Jock allegedly refused to let go of it on the death cart.

3. The bloke with the donkey

One of the most popular Anzac stories from World War I is about Simpson and his donkey. On enemy lines, John Simpson Kirkpatrick and his donkey, known by various nicknames such as Murphy, Abdul, and Duffy, showed remarkable bravery. The pair’s selflessness and tenacity epitomized Australian perseverance.

4. Sarbi, the bomb-sniffer

Sarbi was an incredibly knowledgeable hound who became a hero for the Australian Special Forces in Afghanistan. The Australian Defence Force adopted the black lab as an Explosive Detection Dog (EDD). During her several tours in Afghanistan, she had the essential job of sniffing out bombs.

5. A mighty Smoky

During World War II, small Yorkshire weighing 1.81kg and standing 18cm tall, fought alongside Australian soldiers. Smoky was discovered in a foxhole in New Guinea and sold for two Australian pounds to Corporal William Wynne. 

Thank you for taking the time to read about how these exceptional animals contributed to battles. I hope you learned something!

Animals in the military have played a great role. We at VetSupply want to send our heartfelt gratitude to everyone who has played a role in earning and preserving the freedom of our great nation.