This One Jack Russell Terrier Is Becoming A War Hero In Ukraine
War is never a good thing, and the recent images and stories coming out of the one in Ukraine have been particularly tragic. But as with all things the silver lining is almost always a dog doing something brave, necessary, or loving. And in this case, it’s all three because this Jack Russell Terrier has been a bomb sniffing Wünderhund.
His name is Patron, pronounced Pah-Tron, which means ‘bullet’ or ‘round’ in a few Slavic languages and is a bit ironic because he has helped his homeland’s war effort by detecting over 150 bombs since the war began at the end of February. Along with help emergency services want people about the dangerous situations.
Though there’s nothing cute about the situation he is in or his job in it, it is hard to deny that that face alone could stop bullets. He was born to do this. He’s a Jack Russell Terrier after all.
When one thinks of a bomb sniffing dog, one imagines a big ‘ol German Shepard dog, the kind you see in airport security lines. But actually, Jack Russell Terriers are optimal for the job because they are naturally gifted with an insanely good sense of smell as they were bred for hunting by farmers.
Patron is giving all JRT’s a good name over in Ukraine by finding all of the bombs and playing with all of the sticks. He can even be considered an online influencer at this point since he is inspiring a slew of fan art online.
Patron is a service dog in #Chernihiv. He has discovered over 150 explosive devices in #Ukraine since full scale #Russian invasion began. Patron works closely with deminers to make #Ukrainian cities safe again.
— MFA of Ukraine ?? (@MFA_Ukraine) April 24, 2022
Thank you so much for your service!
? by patron_dsns (Instagram) pic.twitter.com/VyFbk2ffLQ
But when he is not serving as the canine version of Captain Ukraine he lives with his handler’s family, which includes a cat named Tom. Nothing against cats, but Tom is not out there finding bombs, is he?
Patron is part of State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) and is stationed in Chernihiv, not far from the capital in the northern part of the country, which has recently seen some of the most intense fighting since the Russian invasion began.
TWEET
A dog called Patron, who works with SES rescuers in Chernihiv, has helped defuse nearly 90 explosive devices since the beginning of the full-scale invasion ? One day, Patron’s story will be turned into a film, but for now, he is faithfully performing his professional duties. pic.twitter.com/2PpT8p4Yfr
— Stratcom Centre UA (@StratcomCentre) March 19, 2022
A tweet from the Ukrainian Strategic Communication Center account probably sums up Patron best, “One day, Patron’s story will be turned into a film, but for now, he is faithfully performing his professional duties.”
Godspeed, you amazing pup. Patron is not alone, however. There are many amazing animals serving in the war. You can check them out on their Twitter and stay informed about their world.