But on April 25, the stories of some of Australia's bravest troops often go unheralded.

Will we hear the tale of the brave Australian who navigated a tropical storm during the height of World War 2 to seek help for a stranded ship?

Or the story of a heroic patroller who managed to alert his group to a Taliban ambush and was shot in the process?

We're also unlikely to hear about the fearless crew member who sustained severe shrapnel injuries in World War 2, but recovered in time to rid his boat of a rat infestation.

All these stories have one thing in common, they were acts by bold service animals, or to be specific, by a pigeon, dog and cat.

While these stories have gone uncelebrated in the past, Northern Tasmania Light Horse Troop coordinator Terese Binns told ACM people were finally starting to acknowledge the contribution animals had made to Anzac war efforts.

On April 25, the Troop will be joining the traditional dawn service with a menagerie of animals including goats, dogs, pigeons and horses.

"The stories are just amazing of how animals have helped our troops," Ms Binns said.

"We like to acknowledge and give recognition to the ... deeds and sacrifice of our four legged and feathered diggers made while serving alongside our troops in times of war."

"Historic feats have demonstrated true valor and enduring partnership with humans, and we like to bring that to the fore."

One example Ms Binns gave was of an heroic Australian service animal Hoorie the dog.

Hoorie was adopted in World War 2 by an Australian battalion in Egypt as they travelled to Greece.

He was an excellent guard dog who could identify the sound of enemy aircraft and frequently saved diggers by providing an early warning for approaching planes.

Following the war, the clever canine was eventually smuggled back to Australia in soldier Jim Moody's backpack.

Sadly, Hoorie is one of the few service animals that ever made it to Australia after helping ANZAC war efforts.

In fact, Australia did not repatriate service animals to the country until after the Vietnam War, meaning many faithful friends were left behind.

This no longer happens, and finally the animals are receiving recognition for their deeds.

But, Australian War Animal Memorial Organisation (AWAMO) vice-president Peter Kotzur told ACM there were still improvements to be made.

The AWAMO is campaigning for service animals, particularly dogs, to receive a pension following retirement.

This will help their owner afford to look after them by covering expensive food and vet bills when their duties are completed.

"We consider that a bit of an injustice in the sense that dog has served its country for many, many years, and it's just discarded at the end of its life," Mr Kotzur said.

To raise money for their campaign, the AWAMO is asking people on ANZAC day to wear a purple poppy for animal recognition alongside the traditional red poppy.

According to Mr Kotzur, it's important to highlight the contribution of animals as it would have been impossible for wars to be fought without their help.

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He said they had suffered a "staggering" loss of life during past conflicts, and were still making a difference in war zones today.

"The amount of lives saved by bomb detection dogs in Afghanistan is astounding," he said.

"The recognition has become so much better in the last decade, we actually really feel proud of the way that focus has shifted."

"But there's always room for improvement in that sense."