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A war veteran mourning the loss of the dog who stood by his side while he was deployed in Afghanistan commemorated his partner with a tattoo which incorporated the dog's ashes.
"I will lay down my life for you and expect nothing but love in return," says the tattoo, under the name "Treo" and a paw print. "I protect my Dad with my life, and would gladly take a bullet in his place."
Treo, a Labrador retriever, was by Royal Army Sgt. Dave Heyhoe's side to sniff out bombs in Afghanistan. The pair became well-known and in 2010, Treo was awarded the Dicken Medal for Gallantry – the most prestigious award granted to animals in the United Kingdom.
According to Great Britain's People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), a veterinary charity that awards the Dicken Medal, Treo managed to sniff out an improvised explosive device while working as forward protection for the Royal Irish Regiment.
“It was subsequently confirmed that the device uncovered was new to the area and would have inflicted significant casualties,” according to PDSA.
Treo was also recognized for saving dozens of other service members with his bomb-sniffing abilities.
“Without doubt, Treo's actions and devotion to his duties, while in the throes of conflict, saved many lives,” PDSA said.
According to the Daily Mail, Treo left the Royal Army Veterinary Corps in 2009 to live with Heyhoe, who was also retiring. Treo died in October 2015 at the age of 14.
“People might think it's strange, but Treo was like a son to me,” Heyhoe told the Daily Mail. “Over the years we have seen gunfire, death and bomb scares together -- I've been lost without him. Now it feels like Treo is by my side -- where he's supposed to be.”
A tattoo artist agreed to sprinkle Treo's ashes into the ink used to commemorate the dog.
“I couldn't be happier with it,” Heyhoe told the Daily Mail. “I felt a sense of peace after I had it done -- I could feel him there by my side where he'd always been.”
