French police dog, Diesel, will be awarded the PDSA Dickin Medal following his death during a raid on the Paris terror cell in November 2015.
The medal is a supreme honour for gallantry and was instituted by the UK’s leading vet charity, PDSA, in 1943. It is the highest animal honour in the world and Diesel’s will be the 66th PDSA Dickin Medal to be awarded.
Diesel, a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois, served with the French National Research, Assistance, Intervention and Deterrence special anti-terrorism force (RAID). He died on November 18 2015, five days after terrorist attacks on Paris killed 130 people.
Diesel was working alongside armed police who were searching an apartment where the suspected leader of the Paris attacks, along with six other terrorists, was staying.
PDSA Director General, Jan McLoughlin, said:“The PDSA Dickin Medal recognises conspicuous devotion to duty in the theatre of conflict and Diesel is a truly deserving recipient. His gallant actions helped to protect human life in the face of imminent danger and we are very proud to honour him in this way.”
