Our hearts continue to be with the people of Ukraine, who have been facing an ongoing military invasion by Russian forces.
We’ve been moved and inspired by stories of resilience by the Ukrainian people. Many of these stories involve animals: people risking their lives to protect local pets and animals, and animals returning the favor by helping Ukrainian forces.
Like one heroic little dog, who has been hard at work helping to clear explosives.
A viral video shared by the State Emergency Service of Ukraine shows the dog named Patron who is the “mascot” of explosions experts in Chernihiv, who is specially trained to sniff out Russian explosive devices.
The video shows Patron hard at work, wearing his own protective vest, using his sense of smell to track the location of explosive weapons.
According to the Facebook post, the dog has helped the SES team clear 90 explosives since the start of the war last month.
Dogs are known for their incredible sense of smell, and they can be specially trained to detect explosives. Humans can then deactivate and disarm them, helping to save countless lives.
It’s safe to say this dog is making a big difference: according to NPR, over 900 civilians have been killed in Ukraine since the start of the war, and officials say most of the deaths have been caused by “explosive weapons with a wide impact area.”
Officials in Ukraine are grateful for the dog’s important work: “Thank you, friend, for your tireless work!” the SES post reads.
The video has been viewed over 175,000 times on Facebook in just two days, and many local Ukrainians have praised the dog, wishing him continued safety as the war wages on.
“Please keep him safe! Glory to Ukraine!” one comment reads.
“God bless our boys and little four-legged helpers!” another wrote.