A national hero. Boss, the little Jack Russel bomb detector was decorated with the Order of Bravery of the Third Degree along with his master in Kiev on Sunday, May 8, by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky, in person and in the presence of Justin Trudeau, the first Canadian minister during a surprise visit to Kiev, Ukraine. The country continues to be threatened by the Russian army since the invasion of the territory on February 24.
It is called “cartouche” in French and it must be said that the name fits it well. Boss, Jack Russel Terrier, is indeed a little anti-war machine. Since the invasion of the Russian army in Ukraine, the dog, according to his master, more than 200 explosives on the territory of Ukraine, reports BFM TV† This achievement allowed the Patron to be awarded the Medal of Courage of Volodymyr Zelensky, along with his master Mikhail, head of the Chernihiv demining brigade.
Hundreds of kilometers a day
Originally trained for hunting, the patron saint is above all “a family dog” and no “a service dog”according to the owner. “But he has an extremely well-developed sense of smell, so before the war I would occasionally take him to the field”detailed the man at BFM TV last March.
Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Mikhail has been taking his four-legged companion to the field. Together, they travel hundreds of miles a day to spot mines, thanks to Patron’s sense of smell, and deactivate them thanks to the mine clearer’s skills.
“He smells like no other powder! So when he finds it, he barks to let us know, and then we take over.”
Mikhail, chief of the Chernihiv mine clearance brigade.
Patron has since become a real national mascot. On social networks, the Jack Russel Terrier is followed by almost 250,000 people on Instagram.
Watch the video of the decoration: