When Corporal Sarah Marriott saw a group of boys in Afghanistan kicking a tiny puppy like a football she knew she had to step in. 

The 30-year-old army medic stopped the boys, who were taking the puppy to drown it, and rescued the puppy. 

Corporal Marriott said: "I was on routine patrol near our forward base when we came across some children throwing and kicking a puppy. As I got closer I could hear it whimpering.

"I went straight over and we had a translator with us who spoke to the Afghan children about the dog. The children said, 'We have just been sent to drown it in the river'. 

"In Afghanistan dogs are used as working dogs, not pets, either as guard dogs or for fighting. If there are too many in the litter the ones that aren't needed are killed.

"It was only about the size of my hand at that time and I just carried it back to the base nearby.

"I don't think anyone could have just stood there and watched. I had to do something."