Ukrposhta announced the release of a new stamp "Patron the Minesweeper Dog"
Patron, which means “bullet,” “cartridge” or “ammo” in Ukrainian, is a 2-year-old Jack Russell terrier pup. He is trained as a bomb-sniffing dog for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, currently serving in the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine.
Jack Russells are great bomb-sniffing dog because they have an acute sense of smell from their years of being bred as hunting dogs. As small dogs, they can get into tight areas and their body weight doesn’t set off land mines.
While early reports said Patron had found 90 explosive devices, this most recent tweet puts his count at more than 150.
Patron and the pyrotechnic team he works with not only look for bombs but also warn civillian to watch out for them. They recommend that citizens stay out of the woods, stick to the sidewalks, and avoid machine rubble.
“One day Patron’s story will be turned into a film, but for now, he is faithfully performing his professional duties,” the tweet reads.
He has his own Instagram account. And he’s apparently getting his own stamp, news source reports.
While Patron keeps a busy schedule working with his handlers as a sapper, he also is a pretty typical dog. Patron lives with his handler’s family, which includes a cat named Tom. And he gets some downtime for rest just like all of us do.