A sniffer dog that went missing in action after a battle in Afghanistan has been found safe and well after more than a year in the desert.
Sabi the black Labrador was with a joint Australian-Afghan army patrol when it was ambushed by Taliban militants in September 2008.
Nine soldiers were wounded in the ensuing gun battle, which earned one Australian SAS trooper the country’s highest bravery award.
But there was no sign of the bomb-sniffing dog after the battle in a remote area of Uruzgan province.
Sabi’s handlers spent months scouring the desert looking for the four-year-old animal, but to no avail.
Last week – 14 months after she disappeared – a U.S. serviceman spotted a dog with an Afghan man at an isolated patrol base in another part of Uruzgan.
The Afghan handed Sabi over and the American quickly realised she must be a military-trained animal.
Within days, the Labrador was returned to her unit – no worse for wear.
Mark Donaldson, the SAS trooper awarded the Victoria Cross for rescuing a wounded interpreter during the battle, said: ‘Sabi’s the last piece of the puzzle.
‘Having Sabi back gives some closure for the handler and the rest of us that served with her in 2008. It’s a fantastic morale-booster for the guys.’
The dog’s unnamed handler told of the moment he was reunited with Sabi. He said: ‘I nudged a tennis ball to her with my foot and she took it straight away.
‘It’s a game we used to play over and over during her training. It’s amazing, just incredible, to have her back.’
Thanks to Bubbalex for the tip!!!
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