Page 10 - Animals Go to War: From Dogs to Dolphins

JUDY Wins tHe DiCKIn MEDAl
Since 1943 the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals in Great Britain has
awarded the Dickin Medal to animals that have served in war. Launched
by animal welfare reformer Maria Dickin, the medal goes to animals,
“in recognition of conspicuous gallantry or devotion to duty in saving
human life while serving in military conflicts.” Winners have included
pigeons, dogs, horses, and a cat. The medal is the animal equivalent of
the Victoria Cross, a medal awarded to deserving members of the British
armed forces. The ribbon is green, brown, and sky blue, representing
water, earth, and air to symbolize naval, land, and air forces.
While nearly all the animals that have received the award are
from the United Kingdom, several are American animals. These include
Lucca, an American dog that worked with the US Marine Corps for six
years in the Iraq and Afghanistan
wars of the early twenty-first
century. She lost her leg in an
explosion. Reckless, a mare that
assisted US soldiers in the Korean
War (1950–1953), is another
American recipient of the medal.
Judy received the Dickin Medal in
1946 “for magnificent courage
and endurance in Japanese
prison camps thus helping to
maintain morale among her fellow
prisoners, and for saving many
lives through her intelligence and
watchfulness.” The Dickin Medal
is the most prestigious award an
animal can receive.
Like Judy, this Belgian Malinois—
named Mali—received the prestigious
Dickin Medal after his role in military
operations in Afghanistan in 2012.
The medal bears the words Gallantry
and We Also Serve.

12 Animals Go to War