Army dog Treo earns PDSA's Dickin medal for saving lives in Afghanistan by locating explosives concealed by Taliban

This article is more than 10 years old

This article is more than 10 years old

Like his colleagues who have been similarly honoured before him, the latest member of the British military to receive a medal may have woken this morning with a sense that today would not be a normal day.

Unlike other service personnel, the hero of the hour then lapped up water from a bowl on the floor and thrust his face into a dish of dog food.

The actions of Treo, a black labrador trained by the army as an arms and explosives search dog, are to be formally recognised today when he is awarded "the animals' Victoria Cross".

The eight-year-old was deployed to Afghanistan in March 2008, tasked with searching for weapons and munitions concealed by the Taliban.

On 15 August 2008, while working in the town of Sangin, he located a daisy chain IED – two or more explosives wired together to maximise casualties.

A month later, Treo found a second daisy chain, saving a platoon from injury. Recommending him for the award to PDSA, the army said Treo's actions had saved soldiers and civilians from death and serious injury.

The black labrador, accompanied by his handler of five years, Sergeant Dave Heyhoe, will be presented with the PDSA Dickin medal by Princess Alexandra at the Imperial War Museum in London.

The bronze medallion, bearing the words "For Gallantry" and "We Also Serve" within a laurel wreath, is named after Maria Dickin, founder of the PDSA.

Dickin introduced the honour to acknowledge "outstanding acts of bravery displayed by animals serving with the armed forces or civil defence units in any theatre of war, worldwide."

Including Treo's award, the Dickin medal has been presented to 63 animals since its introduction in 1943 – 27 dogs, 32 messenger pigeons in the second world war, three horses and one cat.

It was last awarded in February 2007, when Lucky, a German shepherd, was posthumously honoured for his service in the Malaya campaign from 1949 to 1952, while Sadie, a labrador, received the award for her work in Afghanistan in 2005.

"We look forward to honouring Treo with the Dickin medal," said the PDSA director general, Jan McLoughlin.

"The medal is recognised throughout the world as the animals' Victoria Cross and is the highest award any animal can receive for bravery in the line of duty. Treo is, without doubt, a worthy recipient."