A police dog named Diesel was killed during the Wednesday morning raid in a Paris suburb that resulted in two dead terrorists and seven others in custody.
According to the Mirror, the French National Police tweeted confirmation of the dog’s death later in the day. They also identified the 7-year-old Belgian shepherd dog, or Malinois, as Diesel.
Les chiens d’assaut et de recherche d’explosifs: indispensables dans les missions des opérateurs du #RAID pic.twitter.com/vb5lGjnwjO
— Police Nationale (@PNationale) November 18, 2015
Diesel, who served as an “assault and explosives search [dog]” in the French anti-terrorist police unit known as RAID, was apparently the first to be sent into the building. The Mirror notes that unconfirmed reports suggest the dog was killed by a female suicide bomber’s vest.
According to CNN, the photo tweeted out by the National Police’s official Twitter account is of Diesel, though the Mirror notes that this has not been confirmed. Yet many other photos of Belgian shepherd dogs and similar breeds have flooded Twitter, including this rather patriotic “homage from dogs to Diesel.”
Hommage entre chiens A Diesel… #JeSuisChien pic.twitter.com/9TQud5QXqZ — [email protected] ™ (@ManuBresset) November 18, 2015
RIP Diesel is currently trending on Twitter, and thousands of tributes have poured in from people and organizations all over the world.
RIP Diesel https://t.co/2kQXVOYazH
— PDSA (@PDSA_HQ) November 18, 2015
Diesel claimed no religion, posed no threat & owned no weapons–yet she paid with her life to ensure safety of the French nation. RIP Diesel.
— PETA (@peta) November 18, 2015
She saved many lives. That’s a hero right there. Loyal. RIP Diesel #1stonein https://t.co/LuN2fpZTaq
— Mark Webber (@AussieGrit) November 18, 2015
RIP Diesel https://t.co/PJoDvw2o6E
— Randall Arsenault (@PCArsenault) November 18, 2015
RIP Diesel, a 7-year-old Malinois killed in this morning’s police siege in Paris https://t.co/QCVqhfvKci pic.twitter.com/J25dXWQ8hw
— Dogs Today (@Dogs_Today) November 18, 2015
[h/t Mirror]
[Image via Twitter]
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