Heroic hounds winning medals

Hurricane wears his special award with pride

Meet Hurricane.

He's a retired United States Secret Service dog and he's just won the Order of Merit award.

It was given to him by the veterinary charity PDSA for stopping an intruder from getting into the US president's house in 2014.

His handler and now owner Officer Marshall Mirarchi said: "Hurricane was such a legend within the Service. He loved working and his talent for the job impressed me every single day."

The hound leapt into action when a man jumped over the White House fence and sprinted towards the former President Barack Obama.

Hurricane stopped the intruder from getting to Obama - what a hero!

Meet Mali.

He's a military dog who's just been given a special award for bravery.

It's called the Dickin Medal - that's the animal equivalent of the Victoria Cross, which is the highest honour anyone serving in the armed forces can get.

Mali helped save the lives of troops in Afghanistan, and even carried on after he was injured.

But don't worry - he's fine now!

He's not the only hero hound - here are some other very special dogs.

Frida

Frida's a Mexican navy rescue dog.

She's a really important member of the team and helped save people after the huge earthquake there.

Like the humans on the team, she needs special equipment - including boots to protect her feet from sharp rocks, and goggles to protect her eyes from dust.

She uses her amazing sense of smell to find survivors trapped under rocks so the emergency services can get them out.

Pictures courtesy of Secretaría de Marina

Tyke

Tyke, started off life at the Battersea Dogs Home and went on to become a Border Force dog at Heathrow airport.

Border Force dogs are trained to sniff out drugs, guns and even ivory and rhino horns.

Tyke was one of the most successful dogs, helping to find a massive 27 tonnes of banned animal products.

He won the British Animal Honours in 2013 for Top Working Dog!

Molly

Molly the Cocker spaniel has one of the highest awards an animal can receive, the PDSA Order of Merit.

It's for her outstanding devotion and care of her disabled owner Lucy.

Lucy suffers from a rare painful disorder which sometimes means she can't leave her bed, but three-year-old Molly has changed her life.

Molly's been trained to do tasks around the house, including untying shoelaces, opening doors and even helping with the washing.

Jake

Police dog Jake was given a special award for his incredible work sniffing out crime.

The springer spaniel received the PDSA Order of Merit for finding more than £5 million worth of illegal items over his twelve year career.

Sadly Jake died, so his furry friend Gwen who worked with him, collected the award on his behalf.

The superstar mutt worked at big events like royal visits and the Olympic Games.

The Order of Merit is a very special award given to animals for incredible acts of devotion and achievement.

Now that's an pack of impressive pooches!