Kent was a 6-year-old Labrador.
As tributes began to pour in for Kent, the Army dog who sacrificed her life to protect her handler during a terrorist encounter, the Indian army shared a video to remember its hero canine.
On Tuesday, the six-year-old Golden Labrador was leading a group of soldiers during a search operation in Jammu and Kashmir's Rajouri when the terrorists opened fire at them. To shield her handler from the gunfire, the tracker dog laid down her own life.
To remember her ultimate sacrifice, the Indian Army shared a video of the brave canine on duty, leading soldiers in a search op drill. Trained as tracker dog, Kent was part of 8 operation in over 5 years.
The video shows a determined Kent on the hunt for an intruder as a group of soldiers follow her along thick bushes near a forest. The dog sniffs out the intruder's trail and quickly leads the officers to a patch of tall bushes. Kent barks and alerts the soldiers as the intruder emerges with his hands in the air. The dog leaps at the man and once soldiers surround him, takes her position near her handler.
The news of the brave dog's death was shared widely on social media with many saluting her "supreme sacrifice" and unconditional determination.
Lest We Forget India, an X handle dedicated to remember heroes who died for the nation, also shared a heartfelt post for Kent.
" Sad news coming in-. Brave Canine Warrior KENT of 21 Army Dog Unit laid down her life serving in ongoing OP SUJALIGALA at Rajouri, J&K earlier today - 12 September 2023. Remember the four legged silent warrior - her service and supreme sacrifice for the Nation," the post read.
Lt Gen PR Kumar, former Army Aviation Director General, also paid tributes to the dog, calling her a "Brave Yodha (Warrior)". "My heartfelt salute to you Brave Yodha Kent. As usual as a soldier and canine, you served beyond the call of duty and made the ultimate sacrifice. You will remain 'Man's best Friend' forever," he wrote in a post on X, formerly Twitter.