Stray Afghan dog that saved British soldiers by sniffing out roadside bombs rewarded with new home in UK



A stray desert dog who saved soldiers' lives by sniffing out deadly roadside bombs in Helmand has been given a new home in the UK after a campaign to fly him back.

Brin the Afghan Hound was first adopted by the Coldstream Guards at the beginning of the year after he wandered on to their Helmand base.

They handed Brin on to the Gurkha Rifles in May and he soon became so central to their mission the Taliban kidnapped him, prompting a daring raid to get him back.

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Brin faced being left to the mercy of the militants when the battalion fly home next month and soldiers feared he could be killed in a revenge attack once they had gone.

But now he is settling into a life of comfort and security in the UK after campaigners raised £4,000 to bring him back.

The dog, which looks like a cross between a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Jack Russell, started following units on dangerous patrols.

Soldiers soon realised he had a natural gift for detecting deadly roadside bombs.



He would stand and bark at suspicious mounds, allowing them to avoid or destroy any explosive devices.



Now, Brin's future is secure after Captain Mark Townsend, who cared for him in Afghanistan, sent a rallying call back to his friends and family in England.

They raised the cash to fly the dog home. Teacher Sally Baldwin, 49, who led the fundraising together with animal rescue charity Nowzad, will give him a comfortable new home in the Sussex countryside once he has completed six months in quarantine.

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She said: 'He has been back for a week and he is really tired after his 4,000 mile journey, but he's eating well.



'During his battle experience he learned to sleep while standing up. It's so moving when he dozes off and relaxes completely, seeing this adorable refugee dog safe at last. All the soldiers are thrilled he will be home when they get back.

'I know Mark is especially desperate to see him safe after all he has been through. It has been a huge ongoing operation to raise the money and arrange quarantine.

'But everyone agrees this dog is worth all the trouble. I've had a lot of animals but never one like Brin so I understand why they all loved him so much. There's something about him, it feels like he?s looking out for you. He's very special.

'Mark said he played a massive role in lifting morale among the troops as well as sniffing out bombs.'



In July Captain Townsend told the Mirror: 'He's a big morale booster. He's a reminder of our pets in the UK and it's nice to have a bit of a break once in a while and have something that's like a comfort from home.

'Brin was so effective at saving soldiers' lives, the Taliban suspected he was a specially-trained SAS dog.'

He was captured and held by the enemy, then dramatically rescued after Afghanistan Army commandos seized him back in a raid.



Life will be much more peaceful for Brin, named so because of his brindle colouring, once he relocates to the sedate Sussex countryside with Sally, her husband Ray and their menagerie of rescue pets.



Animal lover Captain Townsend could not offer him a home because of his deployments, but he can't wait to be reunited with the mutt when he gets home.

Sally said: 'Mark is already planning his visit to see Brin and he is absolutely thrilled. He says he owes me a pint for getting him to the UK .



'Brin is loved by so many people and will have lots of visits from his army pals which will no doubt delight him.'



She admits it will be not be easy for the dog to adjust to his new life and plans to help him settle in gradually.

She said: 'This is a dog who will have never seen grass, who it took the troops weeks to teach how to fetch a ball and who has lived all his life surrounded by the sound of gunfire.



'I know it will be difficult and I am prepared to provide the specialist care he will need. I live in a nice big house with a big garden and I am near plenty of lovely country fields so in time he will be a very happy dog.'



