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Lucca, first American dog Dickin Medal Winner

Lucca is the first American dog and thirtieth dog to receive the Dickin Medal for his military service. He’s led over 400 patrols in Iraq and Afghanistan over six years and lost a leg to an IED. The K-9 was honored by the British charity People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals at the Wellington Barracks in London earlier today. According to the organization, it is considered the “highest award any animal in the world can achieve while serving in military conflict.”

Lucca lost his leg in March 2012, when US Marines approached an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in Afghanistan. There were no fatalities thanks to Lucca, a bomb-sniffing German Shepherd. However, after he was able to signal the presence of the IED, a secondary device detonated, injuring him.

 “The explosion was huge and I immediately feared the worst for Lucca,” Juan Rodriguez said in statement. “I ran to her and saw her struggling to get up. I picked her up and ran to the shelter of a nearby tree line, applied a tourniquet to her injured leg and called the medics to collect us.”
Since then, Lucca has been retired and now lives peacefully in California with her first handler, Gunnery Sgt. Christopher Willingham.

“Lucca is very intelligent, loyal and had an amazing drive for work as a search dog. She is the only reason I made it home to my family and I am fortunate to have served with her,” says Willingham. “Today, I do my best to keep her spoiled in her well-deserved retirement.”