The most impressive bit of statuary has just been placed in the grounds of the Australian War Memorial here in Canberra. It commemorates the work and sacrifice of Explosive Detection Dogs (EDDs) and their soldier partners. Dogs were used by the Australian Army as messengers in France in 1918, and as search dogs in 1944, but EDDs are real modern-day heroes. With their partners, they find explosive devices, weapons and ammunition. The dog finds the dangerous stuff and the soldier disables it. A number of these brave teams have been killed in Afghanistan and the statue is their lasting memorial. The expressions on dog and soldier, the bag with equipment including the tennis ball for the dog's "play reward", and the ominous explosive package are all there as part of the story. I have never seen a statue which brings out the feelings of absolute
trust and love between partners the way this one does. I defy anyone to
study it and not be moved.
Labels: animals, Canberra, heroes
# posted by Bart Bear @ 10:25 am
