In a statement released ahead of National Dog Day (July 1), Poland’s Interior Ministry wrote that the police force has the highest number of canines, with 834 currently in service.
The State Fire Service employs 20 dogs, 15 of which are trained in rubble searches, qualifying them for rescue operations after disasters like earthquakes.
Meanwhile, the Border Guard uses 190 service dogs with various specializations, including drug, explosive, and weapon detection, as well as patrol-defense and tracking roles, the statement read.
Additionally, 12 canine officers are serving in the State Protection Service (SOP) where their keen sense of smell is employed for detecting and identifying explosives.
While any breed can serve, German Shepherds and Belgian Shepherds aged one to two years are preferred for training, according to the Ministry.
Service dogs must possess specific traits such as endurance, a total lack of aggression towards humans, and excellent teamwork with their handlers, the statement noted.
Last November, Polish soldiers advocated for the assignment of military ranks to service dogs "in recognition of their role in combat operations”.
The planned rank range was from Private Dog to Sergeant Dog.
The General Staff of the Polish Armed Forces said at the time it intended to affirm the initiative by introducing relevant regulations soon.
(mo)
Source: PAP