War In Ukraine: This 'minesweeping' dog has sniffed out hundreds of Russian explosives

Patron is a two-and-a-half-year-old Jack Russell that has become quite the hero in Ukraine amidst the ongoing war against Russia.

Patron the hero pooch

The adorable pooch is responsible for singlehandedly sniffing out hundreds of lethal explosives hidden beneath the earth by Russian military forces. The State Emergency Service (SES) of Ukraine have said that they have been relying heavily on the heightened super senses of Patron (bullet in English) to get rid of the booby-traps.

In a video posted by the country's civil defence agency, they show Patron, wrapped in his military vest, doing what he does best; locate hidden bombs. The video was captioned:

News from Patron! Our militant dog—the mascot of Chernihiv pyrotechnicians continues to serve! Since the beginning of the war, he and SES sappers have cleared over 90 explosive devices. Thank you, friend, for your tireless work!

How can Jack Russels help with minesweeping?

Not all dog breeds share the same abilities. But when it comes to Jack Russels, they have been used for decades for their incredible sense of smell. They can help locate everything from lethal bombs, to missing people and even minuscule things such as bed bugs. Adding to that is the fact that they are super agile and the perfect size to navigate areas with hidden explosives. William Cronin, director for the American K-9 for Afghanistan and Mali, West Africa explains that:

There's no substitute for the detection of a dog. There's no machine built yet that can reciprocate what a dog can do. When you go into your grandmother's kitchen, you smell stew. The dog goes in your grandmother's kitchen, he smells carrots, pepper, tomatoes, and lettuce.

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