Sabi the black Labrador hit the headlines when she was discovered miraculously after going missing in action for 14 months.
The dog's recovery was announced by the Australian Defence Force on November 11, the day Prime Minister Kevin Rudd visited Australian troops at their base in Tarin Kowt, in Oruzgan Province.
The story was that she was recovered by a U.S. special forces soldier called 'John', who retrieved her from an unnamed man in an unnamed part of north-eastern Oruzgan.
'John' was said to have thanked the man and shaken his hand, as the dog had obviously been well looked after.
But when tribal elders heard of Sabi's meeting with the Prime Minister, they started filling in some of the gaps.
They told Martine van Bijlert, a Kabul-based political analyst and former Dutch diplomat, that Sabi ended up in the hands of Mullah Hamdullah, a minor Taliban leader in Khas Oruzgan district.
Hamdullah was very proud of the dog and showed her around everywhere, according to elders' accounts.
But the Australians wanted their dog back. When Hamdullah's father was arrested, they made it known that they would do a dad-for-dog swap.
Hamdullah didn't think it was a fair trade and refused. Eventually the foreign troops let the older man go, while Sabi remained in Taliban hands.
When Hamdullah tired of the dog he sent a local elder to a nearby military base to do a dog-for-dollars deal.
Since the Australians don't have a base in Khas Oruzgan, the negotiations appear to have been conducted with Americans.
The Americans sought proof of life, so the intermediary was sent to get pictures of Sabi.
Once identity was confirmed, Hamdullah demanded $10,000 for her safe return.
The envoy then went back to the Americans with Sabi.
Afghan sources told van Bijlert that the man handed over the dog but only got a tiny fraction of the money he was after.
He returned to Hamdullah more or less empty handed - no Sabi and very little to show for her.
'Hamdullah was not amused,' says Ms van Bijlert, quoting her Afghan sources.
'He had refused to swap his father earlier and now was left with just pocket money.'
She told The Sunday Age some money did change hands, but added: ' It was a very small amount, nothing like what Hamdullah expected.'
Hamdullah's discomfort has caused considerable mirth in the villages of Khas Oruzgan, where Sabi's fame has spread.
Concluding the story on her blog, Ms van Bijlert writes of one meeting with an elder: 'Did you hear that they gave the dog a medal? He keeps a straight face. 'And when the Australian Prime Minister came to Afghanistan, they showed him on the news, together with the dog.
'He tries not to smile too broadly. He said: "It must have been a very high-ranking dog".'
Come on then, throw the ball: Sabri will be returned to Australia after having her health checked out
Special Forces Explosive Detection Dog Sarbi with her favourite ball
Sabi is greeted by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and U.S. commander General Stanley McChrystal
Sabi disappeared during a fierce battle in Afghanistan between Australian troops and militant fighters has been found and returned to its unit after more than a year
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