Posted on by Randy Slovacek

Bomb-Sniffing Jack Russell Terrier Honored In Ukraine

Patron, a bomb-sniffing Jack Russell terrier, wagged his tail and barked as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the 2-year-old pup a medal on Sunday for his bomb-detection services.
Patron, the bomb-sniffing Jack Russell terrier of Ukraine (screen capture)

Patron, a bomb-sniffing Jack Russell terrier, wagged his tail and barked as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky awarded the 2-year-old pup a medal on Sunday for his bomb-detection services.


From the Washington Post:

The pint-size Jack Russell terrier has won hearts at home and abroad since the start of Russia’s invasion for his role sniffing out land mines and educating children about the dangers posed by the explosives, which Russian troops scattered along their path of retreat from northern Ukraine.

Describing him as a “small but very famous sapper,” Zelensky said in a statement after the ceremony that teaching children to avoid land mines “is now one of the most urgent tasks.”

Zelenskyy noted on Sunday that since the beginning of the Russian invasion on February 24, Patron has helped detect more than 200 explosive devices.

Dogs have a long history of locating land mines, unexploded bombs and improvised devices during conflicts around the world, thanks to their keen sense of smell.