Did Theo die of a broken heart?

Slinkyunicorn

Slinkyunicorn

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I don't know if you have seen the story of the soldier and his spaniel sniffer dog that died in Afghanistan this week.

They were based at the local barracks and my sister teaches there a couple of times a week. They were telling her what happened. The soldier, Liam, was out on patrol without Theo his dog when they hit an IED which sadly killed him:( When they bought him back to the base Theo was distressed howling and whining for him. As they had been inseparable they decided to let Theo see Liams body to say goodbye. Theo lay down next to him and they left them together. 2 or 3 hours later they returned to put Theo back in his kennel (Theo was only about 3 and was due to stay out there working as he was doing such a good) to find him dead next to his beloved handler. They are trying to arrange for Liam and Theo to be buried together:(

:(:(:(
 
Some newspapers are calling it stress, others a broken heart - the official line is stress, I believe. Whatever you call it, it seems to add up to the same thing anyway, it's just semantics. They took his person away, and it killed him:(
 
Yes I saw the news article about it. Very sad. I think their bodies are being repatriated next Thursday and being flown back together and paraded through Wootton... Through work several years ago I was lucky enough to go to 101 Military Working Dogs Unit to meet a dog that had won a PDSA Dickin medal for services out in Iraq - and met his former handler and new one...it's just such an amazing relationship. Some of the things the former handler told me made me well up as when the dog moves to another handler they can't see them any more ever - until the dog retires and the former handler had his name down to have him :) You know so many of these military dogs come from rescue centres/dog homes if they're the right breed and prove trainable.
 
I think humans can die of a broken heart too especially when they have been with the same partner for years and years and then just give up. very sad
 
I absolutely think that that was the case. They are being flown back to RAF Lyneham today. There is talk that both of them should receive posthumous awards for bravery.

I watched footage of them working together on the news this morning and he was such a lively little dog - amazing :(

RIP to both of them

Truely mans best friend!
 
slinkyunicorn said:
The soldier, Liam, was out on patrol without Theo his dog when they hit an IED which sadly killed him:( When they bought him back to the base Theo was distressed howling and whining for him. As they had been inseparable they decided to let Theo see Liams body to say goodbye. Theo lay down next to him and they left them together. 2 or 3 hours later they returned to put Theo back in his kennel (Theo was only about 3 and was due to stay out there working as he was doing such a good) to find him dead next to his beloved handler. They are trying to arrange for Liam and Theo to be buried together:(

:(:(:(
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I think you'll find that LCpl Tasker died as a result of gunshot wounds received whilst out on patrol with Theo. The dog wasnt taken back to camp or a few hours after the incident. I dont suppose the heat helped his distress!

RIP both of them. I hope they can be buried together.
 
i think it could be possible.. we had a rescue dog come and live with us as his owner went to emigrate in Dubai.. he had lived with an unknown amount of people in his time and he was fine after his last owner (b) left.. we had been told gelert (the dog) and b had been very close.. the dog was 7.. collie cross lab.. after 6 months, dog was fine, showing no signs of trouble, b "popped in" .. all on his terms.. i thought it would be wrong but he insisted, gelert was sooo soo soo happy to see him, then when he left, lay down and pined for a month.. he then died 3 weeks later...
i think it can happen.. dogs do get very very attatched to owners..
 
slinkyunicorn said:
I don't know if you have seen the story of the soldier and his spaniel sniffer dog that died in Afghanistan this week.

They were based at the local barracks and my sister teaches there a couple of times a week. They were telling her what happened. The soldier, Liam, was out on patrol without Theo his dog when they hit an IED which sadly killed him:( When they bought him back to the base Theo was distressed howling and whining for him. As they had been inseparable they decided to let Theo see Liams body to say goodbye. Theo lay down next to him and they left them together. 2 or 3 hours later they returned to put Theo back in his kennel (Theo was only about 3 and was due to stay out there working as he was doing such a good) to find him dead next to his beloved handler. They are trying to arrange for Liam and Theo to be buried together:(

:(:(:(
Click to expand...


That made me cry so sad
 
Its such a sad story. Im sure dogs can die of a broken heart. My little jack russell comes everywere with me but when i have to go out to work she knows when i get changed, put perfume on that im out without her and looks very sad and stays in her bed! RIP Theo and Liam xxx
 
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