Lucca, a former military dog, received the PDSA Dickin Medal, awarded for animal bravery

“She’s incredibly smart and loyal. I thought I knew a lot about her, but when you deploy with a dog in a combat environment and you spend seven days a week with them for seven months, you truly find what the depth of a bond is between a dog and a handler,” said  Sgt. Christopher Willingham. On her final mission in March 2012 in Afghanistan, Lucca discovered a 14-kilogram roadside bomb. As she searched for additional devices, a second bomb detonated. She instantly lost her front left paw and suffered severe burns to her chest. She now lives in California with Willingham, outside the military.