Four-legged rescuer joins the Vitebsk Regional Emergency Management Department

A four-legged rescuer has been enlisted in the Vitebsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, as told to a BELTA correspondent by Pavel Semchenko, senior rescuer and dog handler of the "Vityaz" fire and rescue squad of the Vitebsk Regional Department of the Ministry of Emergency Situations.

Vitebsk rescuers have begun creating their own canine service, and the first recruit in the new unit is three-month-old Prada, a yellow Labrador. The choice of this breed was not accidental, explained Pavel Semchenko. They are intelligent and obedient animals. They are excellent at training, friendly, which is important for people in stressful situations during emergencies.

Prada has been assigned to the "Vityaz" squad. A special room has been set up for her where she currently lives, and an enclosure is being built for her, where the puppy will move in when the weather warms up. The dog will be provided with food by the meat processing plant and the bakery products plant – contracts are being concluded with them for the supply of products for her meals. And her personal doctor, an employee of the Vitebsk State Academy of Veterinary Medicine, will monitor her health.

Currently, Prada is mastering the recruit's course – learning to follow simple commands such as "sit," "lie down," "heel," and later on, special lessons await her. Dogs serving in the Ministry of Emergency Situations have specializations, explained the dog handler. Some work to find people in rubble, others rescue people on water or at fires. Prada will work to search for people in forest areas. Every year, dozens of people get lost in the region's forests with the start of the berry season, including elderly people and small children. The four-legged rescuer will be involved in searching for those who have gone missing. In the summer, Prada will attend training camps that the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus regularly holds for the canine services of its units.