Tri-Pawed Afghanistan Hero

'Superhero' Dog Saves Army Partner's Life in Afghanistan -- and He Stands by Her 
ABC News
By AMANDA KEEGAN
via GOOD MORNING AMERICA
Apr 22, 2015

U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald says Layka, the 4-year-old Belgian Malinois with a missing paw, saved his life on an overseas deployment in Afghanistan in 2012. Courtesy Julian McDonald

For U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Julian McDonald, Layka, the 4-year-old Belgian Malinois with a missing paw, isn’t just a canine companion. She’s a hero.

McDonald, 29, said Layka saved his life on an overseas deployment in Afghanistan in 2012. McDonald was on his eighth overseas tour and completing a routine mission with his teammate and Layka, a trained military dog. “We got there to kind of assess the situation a little bit more.

That's when the guy ... started to shoot,” McDonald recalled to ABC News. Layka was hit. “He shot her, about four to six controlled rounds at her,” McDonald said, calling it “a dire situation.” 

Despite her wounds, Layka continued the mission with her team, and was rushed into treatment when she made it back to safety. After multiple surgeries, doctors had to amputate the dog’s right paw.
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