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meet the Chosen Hero Dogs...
THEO
A Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Arms and
Explosives Search Dog was deployed to
Afghanistan on Operation Herrick 13 in
September 2010 and died, age 22-months, on
the 1st March 2011, in the line of duty and within
hours of his handler.
Theo, a black-and-white speckled Springer
Spaniel was gifted to the Royal Army Veterinary
Corps by a member of the public. Slender,
speedy, agile, intelligent and cheeky were just
some of the words his soldier friends used to
describe this incredibly successful Arms and
Explosives Search dog. While under-going his
training at the Defence Animal Centre in Melton
Mowbray, it was clear to everyone that Theo
had something special about him. At 17-months
old the Springer was making a name for himself
and, with Operation Herrick 13 looming, his
cards were marked for a tour of Afghanistan.
Matching Theo with the right handler was
to secure the success of the partnership in
the field. Theo had the necessary high drive
required for an Arms and Explosives Search
dog and he worked with precision and flair. His
handler would need to be someone with an
equally driven approach.
Two weeks after deployment in September
2010, Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, who had
previously seen Theo go through his paces,
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was matched as his handler.They bonded
immediately.Respect and high drive from the
dog combined with dedication and intelligence
from the handler produced immediate results on
the ground.
They were assigned to several Companies
within 2 Para, including the Small Strike teams,
which meant repeated daily patrols over a
number of weeks. Each time Liam and Theo
went forward, ahead of the patrol, to search for
bombs, weapons and deadly IEDs (Improvised
Explosive Devices) planted by the Taliban to kill
or maim soldiers and civilians. And each time
Theo located everything set in his path. The
men came to trust the dog who worked so hard
for the simple reward of a chew on his favourite
yellow ball. In recognition of his life-saving skills
the Parachute Regiment extended their greatest
honour to Theo – his own ‘Para Wings’. They
declared: “He’s one of us…”
On Tuesday, Ist March 2011 – while on patrol
with No 2 Company, 1st Battalion Irish Guards
Lance Corporal Liam Tasker, of the Royal Army
Veterinary Corps 1st Military Working Dog
Unit was killed in action in the Shingazi area
of Nahr-el-Sarraj in Helmand Province. Theo,
the soldier’s Arms and Explosives Search dog,
who was alongside his handler when he fell to a
sniper’s bullet, died hours later from a seizure.
Some believe Theo died of a broken heart.
Lance Corporal Liam Tasker was the 358th
member of British military personnel to die
since the conflict in Afghanistan began in 2001.
Liam and Theo were the second RAVC dog
and handler partnership to lose their lives in the
conflict.
Liam, who was mentioned in Despatches, left
behind a ‘pen picture’ of Theo which chronicled
his love and respect for his young dog who had
saved so many lives in a field of conflict. The
handwritten profile contributed to Theo being
awarded a posthumous PDSA Dickin Medal –
the animals’ Victoria Cross – on 25th October
2012.