Layka the hero dog dies at 13 [Video]

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — One of the most famous war dogs in U.S. history received a final farewell at the University of Tennessee on Friday by those who loved her in her last moments.

On a mission at war, K-9 Layka took rounds from an automatic rifle during a mission in Afghanistan. This helped save the lives of her partner, U.S. Army Sgt. Julian Trent McDonald, as well as other members — but she sacrificed a leg. Her heroism in action landed the Belgian Malinois on the cover of National Geographic Magazine in 2014.

On Friday, Layka was given a final salute on UT’s campus by veterinarians who cared for her, her combat partner, and K-9 officers before she died at the age of 13.

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