Among the information that has emerged about the raid that killed Osama
bin Laden, there's one particularly interesting detail: The elite team
of Navy SEALS included a dog.
Those breeds " 'have the best overall combination of keen sense of smell, endurance, speed, strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to almost any climatic condition,' according to a fact sheet from the military working dog unit."
Discovery News reports that members of the SEALs' dog team "can parachute or rappel into action at a moment's notice" and can be outfitted with "canine tactical assault vests," self-inflating lifejackets, "infrared nightsight cameras and an intruder communication system able to penetrate concrete walls."
And according to a news roundup in the Huffington Post, "The heroic canine was strapped to a member of the SEAL team as he lowered himself and the dog to the ground from a hovering helicopter near the compound."
Lacey, a German Shepherd/Belgian Shepherd Malinois mix, is up for
adoption at B.A.R.K. in Ashland, VA.
The canine commando was most likely a German Shepherd or Belgian Malinois, military sources tell the New York Times.adoption at B.A.R.K. in Ashland, VA.
Those breeds " 'have the best overall combination of keen sense of smell, endurance, speed, strength, courage, intelligence and adaptability to almost any climatic condition,' according to a fact sheet from the military working dog unit."
Discovery News reports that members of the SEALs' dog team "can parachute or rappel into action at a moment's notice" and can be outfitted with "canine tactical assault vests," self-inflating lifejackets, "infrared nightsight cameras and an intruder communication system able to penetrate concrete walls."
And according to a news roundup in the Huffington Post, "The heroic canine was strapped to a member of the SEAL team as he lowered himself and the dog to the ground from a hovering helicopter near the compound."
Dog Breed Guide: German Shepherd
Dog Breed Guide: Belgian Malinois
Video: Herding Breeds
Article: Four-Footed Therapy at the World Trade Center Site
Article: Disaster Search and Rescue Dogs
Article: Search and Rescue Dogs
Article: Service Dogs vs. Therapy Dogs: What's the Difference?
For more on this story:
DiscoveryNews.com: A U.S. Navy SEAL's Secret Weapon: Elite Dog Team
HuffingtonPost.com: Osama Bin Laden Raid Included Bomb-Sniffing Dog Strapped To Commando
The New York Times: A Bin Laden Hunter on Four Legs
