HEALTH & WELLBEING
Not all heroes are human
The RAF Association provides friendship to all members of the RAF family, proudly championing their achievements. Of course military working dogs (MWD) are not eligible for welfare support, but their important role in RAF operations past and present is worthy of recognition. For this reason the RAF Police have nominated a number of dogs to become part of our RAF Association family.
Our hero dog is Sooty the Cocker Spaniel, who was deployed in Afghanistan in 2012 with Sergeant ‘Damo’ Heartford.
Damo says: “Op HERRICK 18 was an extremely arduous tour for arms and explosives dog teams. Sooty soon ramped up a number of fi nds, identifying numerous improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and weapon caches. He also proved extremely effi cient in providing a ‘safe path’ on patrol or while out on targeted ops, often locating buried IEDs which were then marked for avoidance by the following troops.
“However we were involved in several incidents which, looking back, sadly
www.raf-ff.org.uk
affected Sooty. As the tour progressed he would sometimes show signs of reluctance while on the ground and at times had to be carried between searches. When in harness, Sooty was still eager to work and was thankfully still getting results.”
After an assessment, it was concluded that due to Sooty and Damo’s strong bond Sooty could, with regular oversight, remain operational. After returning to Brize Norton, and following a good rest, it was time for Sooty to get back to ‘normal’ work. Unfortunately, Damo soon noticed that Sooty became unnerved by certain things and wasn’t comfortable in what he considered normal circumstances.
Following further assessments by the Provost Marshal’s Dog Inspectorate and then the Defence Animal Centre in Melton Mowbray, Sooty was retired from service and diagnosed with post- traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). MWD Sooty was now Mr Sooty!
Overnight Sooty went from living in a kennel on his own to being a member of Damo’s family with two other dogs and a toddler. Gradually he adapted
By Lauren Park, RAF Association
and has learned that there are certain boundaries, although he still doesn’t recognise all of them. He still has no concept of personal space and has to be involved with everything. His PTSD has been hard work at times, especially when, without warning, he would lie down and refuse to walk.
Damo continued: “Sooty is proving to be a great family pet and has fi tted in well to our hectic household, which now includes another child. He still suffers from PTSD and there is no rhyme or reason behind what affects him. It is diffi cult to predict what could affect him in the future, as obvious triggers, such as fi reworks, don’t seem as bad as random things like a squeaky toy.
“Sooty has given so much, saving countless lives while operational in Afghanistan and is now able to enjoy his retirement. Although I believe it will always be with him, Sooty copes well with his PTSD.”
Sooty truly is a canine hero and we wish him an enjoyable retirement.
To fi nd out how the RAF Association helps all of the RAF family, visit:
rafa.org.uk/what-we-do/.
Winter 2016 39
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