Diesel (dog)
Diesel | |
|---|---|
| Born | Template:Birth year and age |
| Died | November 18, 2015 (aged 7) |
| Occupation | Police assault dog |
| Known for | First RAID dog killed in the line of duty |
Diesel was a seven-year-old Belgian Malinois working as an assault dog for the French police RAID team.
Working career
During her five years with RAID, Diesel became the first dog from the unit to be killed in the line of duty. Her retirement had been planned for spring 2016. On 18 November 2015, Diesel lost her life in a gunfight against suspected terrorists in Saint-Denis, Paris, while authorities were searching for individuals connected to the November 2015 Paris attacks. After gunfire subsided, she was sent in to secure rooms; the initial room was clear, but when she entered the second, shooting resumed, and she sustained fatal multiple gunshot injuries. Early accounts mistakenly stated that a female suicide bomber caused her death, a claim later disproven. Diesel received commendations from Paris police officials for her courage and was credited with likely protecting her handler during the operation.
Legacy
Widespread social media tributes appeared under hashtags such as #JeSuisDiesel and #JeSuisChien following her death. Soon after, the Russian interior ministry expressed solidarity with France by sending a puppy named Dobrynya, after the legendary bogatyr Dobrynya Nikitich, to replace Diesel.
On 28 December, the UK-based veterinary charity People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) announced that Diesel would be awarded the Dickin Medal posthumously for bravery—the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross—marking the 68th time this honor has been bestowed.