Heroic army sniffer dog Theo to receive the ‘Victoria Cross’

An ARMY explosives sniffer dog who died hours after his handler was killed in Afghanistan is to be given a posthumous award.

Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, 26, from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, 1st Military Working Dog Regiment, was shot by insurgents on 1 March last year while on patrol in Helmand Province with his dog Theo, who died of a seizure shortly 
afterwards.

The pair, who were said to have been inseparable, detected a record 14 Taliban roadside bombs and weapons caches in five months, and are believed to have saved countless lives.

Their role was to provide search and clearance support, uncovering hidden weapons, improvised explosive devices and bomb-making equipment.

Springer spaniel Theo is to be awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal, known as the animals’ Victoria Cross, for his “heroic 
actions”.

The award is said to be the highest accolade an animal can receive for devotion to duty in saving human life while serving in a military conflict.