A retired military working dog named Hertz was awarded a medal known as the Victoria Cross of Animals for service in the Afghanistan.
The German short-pointing dog was the first dog in British military history that could detect electronic communication devices such as cell phones, recorders, sim cards and GPS devices.
Hertz, who served with Royal Air Force police officer, was awarded the PDSA Dickin medal, the 74th recipient of the honor since it was first awarded in 1943.
During her time in Afghanistan, Hertz was responsible for finding more than 100 contraband items, including drugs and personal electronic devices (PEDs), which were described as a significant threat to the lives of employees. servicemen and civilians.
Born in Croatia, Hertz joined the RAF at the age of one after showing off his drug detection skills. It was then selected as the first military working dog trained to detect the presence of electronic devices (PEDs).
After weeks of intense specialized training, with support from the Prisons Authority, which uses sniffer dogs to detect electronic contraband, Hertz and his handler, WO Jonathan Tanner, managed to deployed to Afghanistan.
Tanner and Hertz worked together every day in military and civilian complexes in the then British military base Camp Bastion. During the initial search, Hertz discovered drugs and electronic equipment, which later succeeded in supporting intelligence purposes.
Hertz was deployed throughout Helmand province and to the Afghan capital, Kabul. During the 13 months of the tour, there was not a single missile attack on Camp Bastion.
“His job is critical to ensuring the safety of all employees working there, both locals and the military,” said the PDSA. It is difficult to estimate how many lives he has actually saved through his actions.”
The first person to receive the Dickin medal was a pigeon, White Vision. It delivered a message that led to the rescue of a crew that had skidded in October 1943, flying for 9 hours in poor visibility and heavy weather with gusty winds.
Other recipients included the cat Simon in 1949 for “brave in the fire” and for his handling of many rats aboard HMS Amethyst, and the foal Olga, who received a medal in 1947 for his control. traffic and assisting in rescue operations following a bomb blast in Tooting, south London.
