Battersea pays tribute to dogs in war
Playtime at Battersea in the 1920s
Taking place on Remembrance Day, Thursday 11 November at the Animal War Memorial in London, Battersea will highlight the great work of dogs in the armed forces and observe a two minute silence at 11am.
Battersea Chief Executive Claire Horton will speak at the very special service. She explained: “Dogs have played their part in wars through the centuries. At Battersea we are immensely proud of the outstanding efforts made by our dogs in conflicts across the world throughout our 150 year history. Alongside the nation’s forces they have faced challenges few of us can ever imagine, and their devotion and hard work have helped ensure lives were saved and battles were won. For that they truly deserve the thanks of the nation.”
Throughout Battersea’s history its dogs have been recruited for many different roles with the armed forces.In World War I a specialist canine brigade was created and many Battersea dogs were recruited. Some of the dogs went on to be mentioned in dispatches for their commendable service, searching for injured men in the battlefield and delivering vital messages.
The canine brigade favoured Lurchers as the best all-round war dogs, while Airedales, Collies, Sheepdogs, Whippets, Retrievers and Deerhounds were regarded as good messengers and sentries. Great Danes and Mastiffs also were marked out as good watchdogs.
Soldier reunited with dog
In World War II, Battersea dogs helped the Home Defence effort, helping patrol teams and accompanying sentries on their night work.
Today, Battersea rehomes some dogs they believe would not be suitable for a normal domestic environment with service organisations such as the Police and the Ministry of Defence.
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