An explosive detection dog and messenger pigeons from World War II have been recognised at awards honouring heroic military animals.
The awards which honour outstanding service were presented at the Australian War Memorial in Canberra on Tuesday to mark the national day for war animals.
Detection dog Flo Joe, the first Australian canine to locate an improvised explosive device in Afghanistan, was posthumously presented the animal distinguished service award.
During several deployments over six years, Flo Joe protected Australian troops operating in some of the most heavily affected areas of the conflict.
On her fourth tour, she recorded the highest number of finds in her section for that rotation.
War memorial director Matt Anderson said holding the awards in the nation's capital recognised the vast contributions of animals to Australia's military history.
"Flo Joe's award acknowledges the risks faced by service animals and their handlers in active conflict zones, as well as her pioneering achievements in explosive detection," Mr Anderson said.
"She was a safe keeper of our service personnel."
Canberra Health service dog Lachie was also given an award for his work supporting patients and families in acute care settings.
Since joining in 2023, Lachie has provided comfort to people facing serious illness, trauma and grief.
Australian messenger pigeons that carried critical communications in the southwest Pacific were recognised for their service.
Pigeons were relied upon to transmit messages from front lines, often under fire, before modern communications.
Many were wounded or killed while carrying information that helped save lives and direct military operations.
