Lucca (dog)
{{Short description|War dog}}
{{Infobox animal
| name = Lucca
| image = Homeward bound Lucca retires 120702-M-KW153-143.jpg
| caption = Lucca with her handler, Cpl Juan M Rodriguez
| othername =
| species = Dog
| breed = German Shepherd/
Belgian Malinois
| gender = Female
| birth_date = {{birth based on age at death|14|2018|1|20}}
| birth_place = Netherlands
| death_date = {{death date and given age|2018|1|20|14}}
{{cite web|url=https://www.facebook.com/LuccaK458/ |title=Lucca K458|publisher=Facebook}}
| death_place = California, US
| resting_place =
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| nationality =
| occupation =
| employer = United States Marine Corps
| role = Dogs in warfare / Detection dog
| years_active = 6
| known =
| awards = {{unbulleted list
|Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery}}
| title =
| owner =
| parents =
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}}
Lucca (born 2003 or 2004, died 2018) was a German Shepherd/Belgian Malinois service dog who was employed by the United States Marine Corps for 6 years. She was trained to detect explosives. She was deployed twice to Iraq and once to Afghanistan. In her over 400 missions, no human fatalities occurred under her watch. In 2012, while on patrol in Afghanistan, she was injured by an IED blast, necessitating the amputation of her left leg. After recovering at Camp Pendleton, Lucca officially retired in 2012 and was adopted by her original handler, Gunnery Sergeant Chris Willingham.
On 5 April 2016, the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a veterinary charity in the United Kingdom, awarded Lucca the Dickin Medal. It is considered to be the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, and was the 67th time that the medal has been awarded.{{Cite web | url = https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-london-35957766 | title = War-wounded military dog awarded charity medal | access-date = 6 April 2016 | date = 5 April 2016 | work =BBC News}}{{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/apr/05/lucca-heroic-three-legged-war-dog-wins-pdsa-dickin-medal-video |title=Lucca the heroic three-legged war dog wins medal |date=April 5, 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian |format=Video |access-date=January 21, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/videos/have-you-seen/video-adorable-military-dog-who-lost-leg-gets-medal-for-bravery-34600836.html |title=Adorable military dog, Lucca, who lost leg in combat gets medal for bravery |newspaper=Irish Independent |format=Video |date=April 5, 2016 |first1=Jessica |last1=Wakefield |access-date=January 22, 2018}}
{{cite web |url=https://dogsmonthly.co.uk/2016/04/05/pdsa-dicken-medal-hero-girl-lucca/ |title=PDSA Dickin Medal for Hero Girl Lucca |date=April 5, 2016 |first1=Victoria |last1=Heywood |work=Dogs Monthly |access-date=January 22, 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.inquisitr.com/3395062/dogs-in-the-news-mountain-dog-thought-dead-miraculously-lives-german-shephard-receives-medal-for-bravery/ |date=August 8, 2016 |title=Dogs In The News: Mountain Dog Thought 'Dead' Miraculously Lives, German Shephard [sic] Receives Medal For Bravery |first1=Bradley |last1=Ryder |quote=According to the PDSA website, Lucca's award was bestowed "for tireless service to the military communities of the United States of America and coalition partners from 2006 to 2012. |access-date=January 23, 2018}} This was the first time a U.S. Marine Corps dog was awarded this honour.{{cite web |url=https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-honours/the-dickin-medal/lucca |title=PDSA Dickin Medal for Lucca |publisher=PDSA |access-date=May 10, 2017 |archive-date=26 April 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426005211/https://www.pdsa.org.uk/what-we-do/animal-honours/the-dickin-medal/lucca |url-status=dead }}{{cite news |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-lucca-camp-pendleton-dog-dickin-award-2016apr11-story.html |title=How Marine dog Lucca made history |date=April 11, 2016 |first1=Hieu Tran |last1=Phan |newspaper=San Diego Union Tribune |access-date=January 21, 2018}}{{cite news |url=https://www.cbsnews.com/video/u-s-marine-corps-honors-dog-for-wartime-bravery/ |title=U.S. Marine Corps Honors Dog for Wartime Bravery |publisher=CBS |format=Video | date = 5 April 2016 |access-date=January 21, 2018}} Lucca also received an unofficial Purple Heart plaque and ribbons from a two-time Marine recipient of the award.{{Cite web | url = http://www.defensemedianetwork.com/stories/book-review-top-dog-story-marine-hero-lucca/ |publisher = Defense Media Network | access-date = 12 April 2016 | title = Book Review – Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca | first =Rhonda | last = Carpenter | date = 21 October 2014}}
Lucca is interred at the Michigan War Dog Memorial in South Lyon, Michigan.
Military career
Lucca was born in the Netherlands. The Israel Defense Forces brought her to Israel and she trained there for six months with an American team. She was then inducted at Lackland in the United States and brought to the Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona for training in an environment similar to Iraq.{{sfn|Goodavage|2015|pages=13, 22–23}} She served two tours of duty with the U.S. Marine Corps during her six years of service. During that time, she completed more than 400 missions. She was trained as a specialized search dog, and belonged to an elite group of canines capable of working off-leash at long distances from their handlers in dangerous situations. On her missions, no humans accompanying her were ever injured.{{sfn|Goodavage|2015|page=9}} Specifically, the dog's record of military service included Afghanistan with more than 400 patrols and three combat tours in Iraq. She was credited with finding ammunition, explosives and insurgents at least 40 times, without a single human fatality under her watch.
The PDSA noted that she protected thousands of human lives as part of her assignments. On her last mission in 2012, when she was on patrol in Afghanistan, she sniffed out a 30-pound (13.6-kilogram) IED and was continuing her search when she lost one of her legs when another IED detonated underneath her. Cpl. Juan Rodriguez, her handler, thought she had been killed, but was able to rescue her.[http://www.cnn.com/2016/04/05/us/lucca-marine-dog-medal-honor-irpt/index.html Lucca the Marine dog receives medal for service] CNN, 5 April 2016[https://www.foxnews.com/world/us-marine-corps-dog-named-lucca-who-saved-lives-wins-prize US Marine Corps dog named Lucca who saved lives wins prize] Fox News, 5 April 2016 He administered first aid, and Lucca was then airlifted to Germany for medical treatment and rehabilitation. Ten days after the explosion, she was walking again. Following her recovery from her injury, Lucca was retired. She lived in California with Gunnery Sgt. Chris Willingham and his family.
According to Amy Dickin, the dispensary's spokesperson, the award of the Dickin Medal to Lucca garnered more "public attention than any other Dickin Medal honoree in the program's 73-year history." In November 2019 Lucca became one of the first winners of the Animals in War & Peace Medal of Bravery, bestowed posthumously on her in a ceremony on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C.The Washington Post, "New animal bravery medal honors heroic dogs, pigeons and horse," Nov. 18 2019 [https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost/new-animal-bravery-medal-honors-dogs-pigeons-and-a-horse-who-served/2019/11/18/edb69aa0-0962-11ea-97ac-a7ccc8dd1ebc_story.html]
The story of Lucca's life was turned into a book, Top Dog: The Story of Marine Hero Lucca by Maria Goodavage.{{Cite web | url = http://www.today.com/pets/handlers-retired-marine-hero-bomb-sniffing-dog-give-thanks-animals-1D80319972 | title = Handlers of retired Marine hero, bomb-sniffing dog give thanks for animal's duty | first = Eun | last = Kyung Kim|access-date = 12 April 2016 | work =Today| date = 27 November 2014 }}
See also
References
=Citations=
{{reflist}}
=Bibliography=
- {{cite book |last1=Goodavage |first1=Maria |title=Top Dog: The story of Marine Hero Lucca |publisher=New American Library, Dutton Adult |location=New York, New York |date=September 2015 |isbn=978-0525954361 |pages=13, 22–23 }}
External links
- {{cite news |url=http://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/military/sdut-lucca-camp-pendleton-dog-dickin-award-2016apr11-story.html |title=How Marine dog Lucca made history |format=Video |date=April 11, 2016 |first1=Hieu Tran |last1=Phan |newspaper=San Diego Union Tribune |access-date=January 21, 2018}}
- {{cite news |url= https://www.theguardian.com/world/video/2016/apr/05/lucca-heroic-three-legged-war-dog-wins-pdsa-dickin-medal-video |title=Lucca the heroic three-legged war dog wins medal |date=April 5, 2016 |newspaper=The Guardian |format=Video|access-date=January 21, 2018}}
- {{cite web |url=https://www.independent.ie/videos/have-you-seen/video-adorable-military-dog-who-lost-leg-gets-medal-for-bravery-34600836.html |title=Adorable military dog, Lucca, who lost leg in combat gets medal for bravery |newspaper=Irish Independent |format=Video |date=April 5, 2016 |first1=Jessica |last1=Wakefield |access-date=January 22, 2018}}
{{Dickin Medal}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Use British English|date=December 2015}}
Category:Animals of the United States Marine Corps
Category:United States Marine Corps in the Iraq War
Category:United States Marine Corps in the War in Afghanistan (2001–2021)
Category:Individual dogs awarded the Dickin Medal