The defenders of Ukraine against the evil invasion by the heavily armed hordes of Putin’s Russia have been putting in superhuman efforts to defend liberty, democracy, and the entire Free World.
However, one of the most famous of those superheroes is not human, but maybe the world’s bravest sniffer dog, “Patron” (meaning “Bullet”). The small, but feisty, Jack Russel dog formally became a national hero of Ukraine.
He has been awarded a valor medal by Ukraine’s plucky leader, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, for his contribution to beating back the Russian invasion.
National Medal of Valor, 250,000 Followers on Instagram
Amid his participation in the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine and the West, so far, Patron discovered more than 200 Russian unexploded bombs and landmines.
These would have killed hundreds, maybe even thousands, of Ukrainian civilians and troops, had it not been for his sniffing skills and dauntless spirit.
Anywhere the Russian brutes have been, they have committed unspeakable, hellish war crimes and acts of genocide, such as gang rapes of human beings from 1 to 78 years of age.
Wherever they had to retreat in an organized manner, they mined and booby-trapped anything they could: for instance, the piano of a 10-year-old girl in the town of Bucha.
Putin and his brutes, though, never envisaged a brave, 10-pound dog named “Bullet” would be there to frustrate their attempts to kill as many Ukrainians with landmines and booby traps.
The star among all the dogs in #Ukraine – Patron – is on duty as always! pic.twitter.com/dCMhiJ9AY2
— Hanna Liubakova (@HannaLiubakova) April 23, 2022
Bravery comes in different shapes, sizes and species. Patron is our favorite mine detection dog in Ukraine, having detected over 200 explosives, and helped to educate children.
#SlavaUkraini https://t.co/MQ8wH4psEf
— Mriya Aid (@Mriya_Aid) May 16, 2022
Patron the Jack Russell Terrier, Ukraine’s bomb-sniffing dog, Awarded medal of honor by Ukrainian President Zelensky . 🐶🏅🇺🇦 pic.twitter.com/ztnjTOnO3g
— Eddie Bedón 🌐 (@Eddie_Bedon) May 14, 2022
A poll to determine Ukraine's next military-themed post stamp could choose the Moskva warship burning or Patron the bomb-sniffing dog.#Ukraine | #UkraineWar https://t.co/49BoQvVAyx
— The Jerusalem Post (@Jerusalem_Post) May 15, 2022
Pup Gave Up Showcasing Career to Help Defend the Free World from Moscow
As he has been demining regions in northern Ukraine, besides a medal from the president, Patron gained national recognition and more than 250,000 followers on Instagram.
His inquisitive, plucky face popped up on billboards all over the embattled Eastern European nation.
While he earns cheese rewards from Mykhailo Iliev, Patron is careful not to gain weight with his 4 kilograms (10 pounds) at present.
Most of the Russian mines placed by Putin’s monsters on Ukrainian soil are trigged by weight of five kilograms (app. 12 pounds).
Patron’s unspeakable bravery has been underscored by a recent incident with a shell explosion that caused everybody to take cover, everybody but the courageous little Jack Russel, The Daily Mail reports.
Patron, who is two years old in human years, saw his fame snowball when the Ukrainian Ministry of Emergency Service published online a video of him de-mining the city of Chernihiv in northern Ukraine.
Bizarrely enough, the dog received the Ukrainian presidential medal of valor when Canada’s leftist Prime Minister, Justin Trudeau, was visiting Zelenskyy in Kyiv.
Trudeau was surprised to find the plucky little hero as being a presence of even higher profile than his own.
His owner, Mykhailo, reveals Patron was supposed to be a showcase dog. However, since there was nobody to look after him at home, the employee of the emergency service has been taking the puppy to work with him. Patron was only two months old.
Mykhailo is himself a bomb disposal expert. He quickly figured out the pup could be a great asset to his work and the freedom-loving people of Ukraine, defying the vicious zest to kill displayed by Putin and his savage hordes.
Meet Patron – Ukrainian landmine finder dog (Jack Russel Terrier) and mascot of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine 💪🇺🇦❤️ pic.twitter.com/3LzDwaG0KY
— Nik Raccoom (@NikRaccoom) May 14, 2022
Best Vyshyvanka Day greetings from our deminer star Patron The Dog 🐶 pic.twitter.com/ShTPu8q60L
— Ukraine / Україна (@Ukraine) May 19, 2022
A day in the war zone with Patron: Ukraine's sniffer dog hero who doesn't even flinch as Russian shells explode around him https://t.co/ZDXAybBB5V
— Daily Mail Online (@MailOnline) May 22, 2022
President Volodymyr Zelensky honored the bomb-sniffing dog Patron on Sunday. The dog, whose name means "ammo" in Ukrainian, helps sniff out Russian mines and explosives in the northeastern city of Chernihiv, Ukraine. https://t.co/jcCLLtVEZ0 pic.twitter.com/GtDqfCrGod
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 9, 2022