Mine clearance and tracking down criminals: four-legged "guardsmen" decorated for their dedicated service
Animals, as well as people, do defend the country in times of war. The four service dogs, Dzhuki, Irbis, Antei and Odin, have been decorated with medals for their loyal service.
Source: They belong to the Eastern Operational and Territorial Unit, as the National Guard of Ukraine reported
Quote: "In the challenging times of war, when the nation's security is threatened, every resource and effort becomes extremely important. The National Guard’s cynology experts and their four-legged assistants are one of the most effective means of maintaining security," the National Guard said.
Details: Dogs perform such important tasks as finding illegal items and people, helping with mine clearance and detecting criminals.
- The four dogs found the following items:
- over 35 grenades;
- about 2,000 rounds of ammunition;
- 2 kg of TNT;
- a PM pistol with ammunition;
- AK assault rifle;
- Six high-explosive grenade launcher charges.
Kharkiv service dogs were evacuated due to a full-scale invasion. Russian forces dropped four aircraft bombs on the military unit in early March 2022, where the dogs were trained.
Quote: "It was a shock for our dogs. For safety reasons, we evacuated the dogs to Ukraine’s west," says cynology expert Anatolii.
Details: The cynology experts spent more than a year separated from their four-legged companions.
"They definitely recognised us – you should have seen their tails wagging!" says cynology expert Serhii.
German shepherd Kira and National Guard cynology experts were also decorated with a departmental decoration, the medal "For Meritorious Service'' of the III Class, in Odesa Oblast.
Background: In December 2022, another four-legged National Guard dog, Nika, was decorated with a medal for helping to find a child.
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