The 250,000-follower Instagram star and most popular Ukrainian dog in the world now has a Twitter account so his followers may follow him there as well.
Patron, a two-year-old Jack Russell, is the hero of billboards that represent his country’s defiance of Vladimir Putin.
Volodymyr Zelensky, the president of Ukraine, just presented him with a medal for valour.
He serves as the group’s “soul and mascot” and aids the State Emergency Service of Ukraine (SES) with the disposal of explosives.
More than 200 lethal Russian landmines and unexploded bombs have been found since Patron was purchased, although he was originally intended to compete in pedigree dog contests.
His first big break came when Chernihiv, a war-torn northern city, was featured in a video uploaded online by Ukraine’s State Emergency Service featuring their mascot at work. In Kyiv’s presidential palace, he was presented with his medal while Justin Trudeau, the prime minister of Canada, was in town.
Mykhailo Iliev, the dog’s owner, is an expert in bomb disposal, and he quickly realized how useful Patron could be in his line of work.
He has known nothing else, according to Mykhailo, and this is his life. The fact that we have a dog with such aptitude is simply a question of luck. He is my pet, not a service dog, but he has an incredible nose and loves to learn. He was intended to be a show dog, but his purpose in life was to save people, not to earn awards.
Patron received training to find TNT and gunpowder at the age of six months. When he does, he comes to a tight stop and waits for Mykhailo and his crew to arrive while keeping his head bowed.
But he can occasionally find his job demanding. He sometimes skips his evening meal since he is so exhausted. After returning home, he simply passes out,’ adds Mykhailo. But each morning, he is eager to leave for work.