Wearing his spiffy official collar, “Caesar” led the grand parade down Auckland’s Queen Street before A Company, 4 Battalion, New Zealand’s Rifle Brigade left New Zealand for the war. Caesar went with them. He was, after all, a trained Red Cross dog that helped rescue wounded troops during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. He belonged in the parade.

When Caesar found a solider, he’d look around for something that would identify the man, such as a rifle, coat, hat or helmet. Caesar would then carry the item back to his handler whom he’d lead back to the wounded man. Caesar did this again and again, and his actions saved many lives. 

Caesar was a Bulldog who was killed in action. The collar he’s believed to have worn in that grand parade is now at the Auckland War Memorial Museum, and you can read his life story in a book written by Patricia Stroud called, Caesar the Anzac Dog. 

Image of Caesar’s collar