Picture of Golden retriever Soldat Of Napoleon

Biography

Tom Lievens was a male golden retriever born on 04/06/1768 in Belgium. His main value was Integrity, and he grew to be very respectful of others and proud of his beliefs. He moved to France as an adult to seek work, but he fell in love with the country and decided to stay.


Tom Lievens was then recruited into Napoleon's army, where his bravery and integrity quickly caught the attention of the higher ranks. In 1804, he was promoted to the rank of Corporal, which made him the first dog to achieve this elevated position in a human army.


In 1805, Tom Lievens took part in the German Campaign led by Napoleon Bonaparte against the coalition forces led by the Austrians and the Russians. During the battles that took place during this military campaign, Tom Lievens showed exceptional courage which did not go unnoticed by the French soldiers: when they were trapped between enemy troops on a bridge near the German village of Grünwald, Tom managed to jump over the river to fetch reinforcements and allow the French to claim victory.


This heroic exploit made Tom Lievens an emblematic figure not only within the French army but also throughout Europe; it was said that if Napoleon had won this battle thanks to his "best dog"! After that, Tom returned to France where he lived until his death on 06/01/1834.