Diggers and Sniffers

Have you ever heard the expression, “an animal is a man’s best friend? ” When war breaks out, it’s not just men and women who head off to the battlefields. Animals often go with them. Over the years, animals have helped Canada’s soldiers in many different ways.

Like my relative Gander, other animals have saved lives during wartime. In the First World War, mice and canaries would help the soldiers who were digging tunnels by warning them when they smelled dangerous gases. German shepherds, like my canine friends Fanny and Alex, are very good sniffers. They worked with Canada’s army in Afghanistan to find roadside bombs, explosive landmines and missing soldiers.

An animal’s nose always knows!

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