RAF dog Buster who saved more than 1,000 lives sadly dies

This is Buster the springer spaniel – and he has died at the age of 13 after completing five tours of duty in Afghanistan, Iraq, and Bosnia.

The majority of them are used for “general purpose” (to search for evidence, track people and aid their handlers by restraining others), but some dogs, such as Buster, are trained in specialized areas: tactical firearms support arms, explosive search, drug detection and vehicle search.

Flight Sergeant Barrow documented his experiences with Buster into a best-selling book and as recently as this week, the inseparable pair were out promoting Buster’s service endeavours at a local school where they had been invited to hand out end of year reports to the children.

Buster also helped cheer up the troops, says his handler.

“Many’s the time I’d find some of the soldiers on the cot beds with him, just chatting away”. Barrow said, ABC News reported Friday. He was also the official lifetime mascot of the RAF Police and won the Crufts Friends for Life Award in 2012. Will Barrow of the British Royal Air Force announced Thursday the death of his beloved military dog. He suspects Buster could even have had a form of post traumatic stress from all his time spent under enemy fire.

But the final word should go to Flt Sgt Barrow.

He has previously said of his bond with the dog: “He saved my life every day we were together”.

“I owe him so much”.