For helping to destroy hundreds of Russian bombs in Ukraine, a little Jack Russell dog has earned hearts and lovers. He’s now received state recognition as well.
During a press conference on Sunday, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy awarded Patron the bomb-sniffing dog and his owner, Mykhailo Iliev of the Civil Protection Contribution, a medal in honor of their service to the country.
According to Reuters, Patron, whose name means “ammo” in Ukrainian, is credited with identifying more than 200 undetonated pipe bombs since the fighting began in late February.
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Patron has become a staple of Ukraine’s official social media platforms, as well as a worldwide symbol of patriotism, thanks to his formidable snout and pint-sized safety gear. He’s even sparked a flood of fan art in the shape of paintings and crocheted plushies, ranging from sorrowful to witty. More than 220,000 people follow his official Instagram account.
Patron joyfully barked and wagged his tail as Zelenskyy presented the prize at a press conference in Kyiv with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau. Trudeau chuckled and appeared to go through his pockets for candy at one point.
Patron was acknowledged. Four-legged heroes are among those who rescue people’s lives every day. Patron, a bomb-detecting dog, is the most well-known. @ZelenskyyUa gave him an award “For Dedicated Work in the #UAarmy” in the presence of @JustinTrudeau. pic.twitter.com/mssSTlfIKW
May 9, 2022, Defense of Ukraine (@DefenceU)
Patron was characterized as a “little but highly renowned sapper,” or military engineer, by Zelenskyy later that day in comments.
He described the dog as “a dog that helps clear our land of occupiers’ traces and also helps educate youngsters mining safety.” “Teaching youngsters to detect and avoid hazardous things has become one of the most pressing jobs, thanks to the Russian invaders.”
According to TODAY Parents, the 2-year-old terrier was professionally taught by cynologists to demonstrate how dogs can be trained to do certain duties, but at the start of the war, he shifted his focus to learning how to smell out mines.
Patron was originally purchased from a coworker as a pet for Iliev’s son, who is from Chernihiv and has been performing this sort of job since 2014. Now the two are collaborating to defuse Russian mines and rockets.
Patron the dog continues to put up long hours; only yesterday, he assisted in the defusing of 262 explosive explosives near #Chernihiv. We are quite pleased with our excellent young man. pic.twitter.com/hw4zyA8S9R
May 1, 2022
It works like this: The scent of gunpowder was taught to Patron. He alerts Iliev, who works with his human counterparts to locate and disarm the devices.
Iliev told TODAY that Patron “gives rays of the sun, smiles, and hope only for triumph and peace on earth,” and that Patron would continue to operate “as long as our people need it.”
Patron is out in the neighborhood performing charitable work when he is not sniffing out bombs. According to Ukraine’s Centre for Strategic Communications and Information Security, he was seen last month visiting a youngster at a Kyiv hospital.
Patron, the little dog with a huge job, is well-known in Ukraine. He searches for landmines and assists in their detonation. Patron volunteers in the Okhmatdyt Youngsters’ Hospital in Kyiv in his leisure time, as shown above, greeting children. pic.twitter.com/kU3Iu0VidW
— April 30, 2022, Stratcom Centre UA (@StratcomCentre)
The task is difficult and clearly exhausting, as Belarusian opposition newspaper NEXTA posted a now-viral picture of the exhausted dog sleeping at a press conference over the weekend.
At a press conference with journalists, the renowned dog #Patron, who defends #Ukraine on a regular basis from “gifts of the #Russian world,” fell asleep.
Nothing better seems to be on the horizon. pic.twitter.com/E44zZ8qJbA
— May 8, 2022, NEXTA (@nexta tv)
Patron, on the other hand, still finds time to play with his buddies and eat his favorite goodies.
Iliev said, “Patron simply likes cheese.” “He’s an energetic dog that enjoys going for a run with other dogs and then sleeping.”
Patron appreciated meeting Canada’s leader at Sunday’s event, according to a Google translation, “even though Mr. Trudeau could not discover a slice of Patron’s favorite cheese.”
