# Army Dog Found After 14 Months Lost in Afghanistan



## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,574346,00.html

_ *SYDNEY — A bomb-sniffing dog that disappeared during a fierce battle in Afghanistan between Australian troops and militant fighters has been found and returned to its unit after more than a year.* And Sabi the black labrador is getting a celebrity welcome home. Sabi was with a joint Australian-Afghan army patrol ambushed in restive Uruzgan province in September 2008, triggering a gunfight that wounded nine troops and earned one Australian soldier the country's highest bravery medal.

But there was no sign of Sabi after the battle, and months of searching failed to find any sign of the retriever — until now. Defense officials said Thursday that a U.S. soldier recovered Sabi at an isolated patrol base elsewhere in Uruzgan. Further details about the base were not given.

The dog was returned to the Australians' base in the province just in time for a visit by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, who was photographed Wednesday along with the U.S. commander in Afghanistan Gen. Stanley McChrystal petting Sabi.

"Sabi is back home in one piece and is a genuinely nice pooch as well," Rudd told reporters. Exactly where Sabi has been or what happened to her during the past 14 months will probably never be known, though that she was in good condition when she was found indicated somebody had been looking after her, military spokesman Brig. Brian Dawson told reporters in Canberra. The dog was being tested for diseases before a decision was made on whether she can return to Australia.

More than 1,500 Australian troops are in Afghanistan and most of them are involved in training Afghan security forces. Among them are units that use dogs to sniff out roadside bombs and other explosive booby traps.
_


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## David Frost (Mar 29, 2006)

Things like that can and do happen. How fortunate for that dog that it's been returned, seemingly healthy.

DFrost


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## Meng Xiong (Jan 21, 2009)

Thats great news!


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

David Frost said:


> Things like that can and do happen. How fortunate for that dog that it's been returned, seemingly healthy.
> 
> DFrost


David .. Sabi was female MWD that is not the norm right? Or is it just because she was a bomb detector she would've been considered for active duty? I think she is the first female MWD I've ever heard about.


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## Jeff Oehlsen (Apr 7, 2006)

They secretly trained it's subconcience like in that movie with Frank Sinatra. You watch, it is a Manchurian Candidate.


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> David .. Sabi was female MWD that is not the norm right? Or is it just because she was a bomb detector she would've been considered for active duty? I think she is the first female MWD I've ever heard about.


 
I don't think Lackland cares if the dog is M or F as long as it passes their tests and will work.


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## Geoff Empey (Jan 8, 2008)

Kyle Sprag said:


> I don't think Lackland cares if the dog is M or F as long as it passes their tests and will work.


Do you know if the Aussies use Lackland dogs or train in house? 

What would you think would be the percentage between Female/Male WMDs then?


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## Kyle Sprag (Jan 10, 2008)

Geoff Empey said:


> Do you know if the Aussies use Lackland dogs or train in house?
> 
> What would you think would be the percentage between Female/Male WMDs then?


 
I have no idea, I do have a friend that has sold M & F working dogs to Lackland though.


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Kyle Sprag said:


> I have no idea, I do have a friend that has sold M & F working dogs to Lackland though.


Aussies do not use Lackland Dogs, and as Kyle stated irrelevant if its male or female, as long as they work, which of course their are a higher percentage of males, but lots of females as well.

The females are spayed before going to their respective units and some males are nuetered, but not all.


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## Colin Chin (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi Jody,
Why do they neutered the male dogs ? Is it for detection or general purpose/sentry dogs ?

Colin


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Colin Chin said:


> Hi Jody,
> Why do they neutered the male dogs ? Is it for detection or general purpose/sentry dogs ?
> 
> Colin


They do it to some when they see issues that they think they can solve... Sometimes not the best thing, but on the other hand an undescended testicle, they won't chance it, they will go in and nueter......

It doesn't matter if it is a MDD, EDD, PEDD, NDD, PNDD, SSD, or CTD, they look at each dog individually. ALL females are spayed though!


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## Colin Chin (Sep 20, 2006)

Hi Jody,
If it is a good female working dog, don't they want to breed them ? At what age they spayed the females ? Thanks.

Colin


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## Guest (Dec 1, 2008)

Colin Chin said:


> Hi Jody,
> If it is a good female working dog, don't they want to breed them ? At what age they spayed the females ? Thanks.
> 
> Colin


 
I can't answer that, but what I do know is they buy dogs just for breeding in their puppy program. They have three brood bitches now, but they aren't trained and never worked. (weird huh)

Different thinking I guess. 

They buy dogs from the ages of 12-48 months and they get spayed prior to going out to the forces, regardless of their age at the time.


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## Colin Chin (Sep 20, 2006)

Jody Butler said:


> I can't answer that, but what I do know is they buy dogs just for breeding in their puppy program. They have three brood bitches now, but they aren't trained and never worked. (weird huh)
> Different thinking I guess.


Hi Jody,
Check with you, do you know how they choose a breeding brooch ? Since, they do not work or train them. Thanks.

Colin


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