Upper West Side Photo of the Day: Rufus the Dog
Rufus the dog. Photo source: The New York Post
Not every dog out there gets to be honored by hundreds at a high-profile New York City event, but Rufus is not just any dog. The pooch, pictured at left, was one of three dogs in Afghanistan who saved 50 GIs from a suicide bomber. Rufus, Sasha, and Target were three strays taken in by US soldiers in the country. In February, the three dogs barked at and bit a Taliban fighter in Paktia province, alerting the GIs to the bomber and triggering him to detonate early, which in turn prevented the blast from affecting the targeted Army barracks. While Sasha died in the blast, and Target was accidentally euthanized in Arizona, Rufus was only injured and brought back to the US, where he lives with his handler, Sgt. Chris Duke, in Atlanta. The heroic dog was honored at the Centennial Top Dog Gala, which took place Thursday night at the American Museum of Natural History (Central Park West at 79th). The gala, a cocktail reception and dinner, brought out 500 guests to support the Animal Medical Center, a 100-year-old animal charity. Story and photo courtesy of The New York Post.
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Tags: Afghanistan, Animal Medical Center, Centennial Top Dog Gals, Heros, Reception, Rufus, Rufus the Dog, Sgt. Chris Duke, War
