Sam (died 2000) was an army dog who served with the

Royal Army Veterinary Corps The Royal Army Veterinary Corps (RAVC), known as the Army Veterinary Corps (AVC) until it gained the royal prefix on 27 November 1918, is an administrative and operational branch of the British Army responsible for the provision, training and c ...

Dog Unit. While serving in

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

in the 1990s, Sam helped to apprehend an armed man and also to hold back an armed mob besieging a compound where

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Southeastern Europe who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of Serbia, history, and Serbian lan ...

were taking refuge. He received the

Dickin Medal The PDSA Dickin Medal was instituted in 1943 in the United Kingdom by Maria Dickin to honour the work of animals in World War II. It is a bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, carried ...

, the animals' equivalent of the

Victoria Cross The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...

, in 2003 for these acts of bravery.

Life and career

Sam was a

German Shepherd The German Shepherd, also known in Britain as an Alsatian, is a German Dog breed, breed of working dog of medium to large size. The breed was developed by Max von Stephanitz using various Old German herding dogs, traditional German herding dog ...

that served with the Dog Unit of the

. Sam and his handler, Sergeant Iain Carnegie, were part of the

Peacekeeping Peacekeeping comprises activities, especially military ones, intended to create conditions that favor lasting peace. Research generally finds that peacekeeping reduces civilian and battlefield deaths, as well as reduces the risk of renewed w ...

force in

. While patrolling in the town of

Drvar Drvar (, ) is a town and the seat of the Municipality of Drvar in Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated in western Bosnia and Herzegovina, on the road between Bosansko Grahovo an ...

in 1998 with the First Battalion of

The Royal Canadian Regiment The Royal Canadian Regiment (RCR) is an infantry regiment of the Canadian Army. The regiment consists of four battalions, three in the Regular Force and one in the primary reserve. The RCR is ranked first in the order of precedence amongst Canad ...

, their patrol came under fire from a gunman. After firing, the gunman ran into a bar, whereupon Sam chased him and brought him down. Sergeant Carnegie then disarmed the man and retrieved a loaded pistol. Six days after this incident, a mob of rioters armed with crowbars, clubs and stones surrounded a compound where about 50

were taking refuge. Sam's team managed to force their way into the compound and he held off the rioters until reinforcements arrived. Sam retired from service two years later, at the age of 10. He died from natural causes soon afterwards.

Recognition

Sam posthumously received the Dickin Medal, the animals' equivalent of the

, in 2003 in recognition of his work in Bosnia and Herzegovina. He was the fifty ninth animal to receive the award. The citation for the award, which was given on 14 January 2003, read as follows: His handler, Sergeant Carnegie, mentioned after receiving the posthumous award on behalf of Sam that he could never have attempted to carry out his duties without Sam. He also mentioned that Sam never backed off when facing the rioting mob.

Notes

External links

PDSA Dickin Medal, including "Roll of Honor" PDF
{{Dickin Medal 2000 animal deaths British Army animals Dogs in warfare Individual dogs awarded the Dickin Medal Bosnian War Individual dogs in the United Kingdom

Life and career

Recognition

See also

Notes

External links