Hero dog Buster—who completed five tours of duty in Afghanistan, Bosnia and Iraq—died at at his handler's home in Lincolnshire, England, reported the Daily Mail.
The 13-year-old Springer Spaniel saved 1,000 lives by sniffing out improvised explosive devices (IEDs), patrolling British soldier bases, searching vehicles at checkpoints and conducting frontline searches for weapons, ammunitions and explosives, reported ITV.
Flight Sergeant Will Barrow, Buster's owner, wrote about his experiences with the dog in the upcoming book "Buster: The Military Dog Who Saved a Thousand Lives." He also started visiting schools in 2012, when Buster retired, to speak about the heroic deeds of the dog.
"He saved my life every day we were together. I owe him so much that I can never repay the debt, even if we lived forever," said Barrow, reported the Independent.
Buster received many awards for his heroism, including the Dickin medal for his military service in 2003, which is dubbed as the Victoria Cross for animals. He was also the official lifetime mascot of the RAF Police and won the Crufts Friends for Life Award in 2012.
The RAF Police is organizing a special event to celebrate the contribution of dogs like Buster.
