A Soldier and His Dog

This is a sad but touching story on the bond between a man and his dog. AND on the sacrifices that  brave men (and women AND dogs) in the military make for all free nations!

UK soldier, loyal dog make final journey together

Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job - searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan.

By JILL LAWLESS

Associated Press

LONDON —

Liam and Theo were a team, fast friends doing a dangerous job - searching out roadside bombs laid by insurgents in Afghanistan.

The jovial British soldier and his irrepressible dog worked and played together for months, and died on the same day. On Thursday they came home, flown back to Britain in a somber repatriation ceremony for the soldier remembered for his empathy with animals and the companion he loved.

Lance Cpl. Liam Tasker, a dog handler with the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, was killed in a firefight with insurgents in Helmand Province on March 1 as he searched for explosives with Theo, a bomb-sniffing springer spaniel mix. The dog suffered a fatal seizure hours later at a British army base, likely brought about by stress.

Military officials won't go so far as to say Theo died of a broken heart - but that may not be far from the truth.

"I think we often underestimate the grieving process in dogs," said Elaine Pendlebury, a senior veterinarian with animal charity PDSA. "Some dogs react very severely to their partner's loss."

Click Here for the Rest of the "Tail"