A stray desert dog who saved soldiers’ lives by sniffing out deadly roadside bombs in Helmand has been given a new home in the UK after a campaign to fly him back.
Brin the Afghan Hound was first adopted by the Coldstream Guards at the beginning of the year after he wandered on to their Helmand base.
They handed Brin on to the Gurkha Rifles in May and he soon became so central to their mission the Taliban kidnapped him, prompting a daring raid to get him back.
Brin faced being left to the mercy of the militants when the battalion fly home next month and soldiers feared he could be killed in a revenge attack once they had gone.
But now he is settling into a life of comfort and security in the UK after campaigners raised £4,000 to bring him back.
The dog, which looks like a cross between a Staffordshire Bull Terrier and a Jack Russell, started following units on dangerous patrols.
Soldiers soon realised he had a natural gift for detecting deadly roadside bombs.
He would stand and bark at suspicious mounds, allowing them to avoid or destroy any explosive devices.
Now, Brin’s future is secure after Captain Mark Townsend, who cared for him in Afghanistan, sent a rallying call back to his friends and family in England.