April 2024 A to Z Challenge

 

Seal of Maharashtra, India

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

This year my blog posts for the April 2024 A to Z Challenge will be about the recipients of the Dickin Medal, which you can read about here. They are in alphabetical, not chronological order, within the different letters. 

 My final post for the A to Z challenge again features a dog that was not  awarded the Dickin Medal, though he was certainly a brave and skilful boy, and two other very different dogs.

Z

Zanjeer  1992-2000

‘You think dogs will not be in heaven? I tell you, they will be there long before any of us.’

Robert Louis Stevenson 1850-1894

Zanjeer was a yellow Labrador Retriever working with the Police Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India. His handlers were Ganesh Andale and V G Rajput.

During the 1993 terrorist bomb attacks in Mumbai, which killed more than 250 people and injured several hundred more, Zanjeer averted further disasters, and saved countless more lives by detecting explosive devices, weapons and live ammunition. He used his distinctive three bark call to call attention to a scooter packed with explosives. Then he detected weapons and grenades among ten abandoned suitcases outside a temple.  Days after that he indicated two cases which contained rifles.

In addition to his work during the Mumbai bombing campaign, over the course of his police career, Zanjeer’s nose led to the discovery of more than 240 bombs, 250 grenades, over 7,300 pounds of RDX, (a key component of Semtex) 600 detonators and over 6000 rounds of ammunition as well as hundreds of weapons.

Zanjeer developed bone cancer and died in 2000. He was granted a full state funeral, adorned with flowers, and buried with full honours, his nation’s hero.

 

Zappi

                                Scuola Italiana Cani da Salvataggio

Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons

‘Every dog must have his day’

Jonathan Swift 1667-1745

Zappi works on the island of Sardinia as an emergency rescue dog in the Mediterranean. Like others in his unit, he jumps into the sea from a helicopter to rescue people in difficulties in the water.

SICS, Scuola Italiana Cani da Salvataggio, (Italian Rescue Dog School) is dedicated to training dogs and their handlers in sea rescue. To be able to train, dogs must weigh more than 30 kg and be strong swimmers. A single dog may be asked to tow a boat with 30 people on board. It may also be expected to help a human rescuer conduct resuscitation in water. To train for this, human and dog swim side by side, to match each other’s pace.

SICS organises annual helicopter rescue courses for dogs and regularly takes part in exercises with all Italian helicopter units, including Air Force, Police, Fire Brigade and others.

 

Zoey

‘Even the tiniest poodle or chihuahua is still a wolf at heart.’

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent 1940-present

Last, but not least, comes Zoey. She was a long-haired Chihuahua, weighing not much more than five pounds. Living in Colorado with her family in July, 2007, Zoey saw a three-foot long rattlesnake slithering towards the small boy of the family. The one-year-old was playing with the water in his grandparents’ birdbath when the snake rattled and struck.

Zoey managed to place herself between the snake and the child and was bitten above her eye. The site of the bite swelled quickly and it was feared that the little dog would succumb to the poison. However, after four days Zoey recovered and in March, 2008, was awarded the Shining World Hero Award. 

‘Dogs do speak, but only to those who know how to listen.’

Ferit Orham Pamuk 1952-present

To date, (2024) the recipients of the Dickin Medal have included:

38 dogs

32 pigeons

4 horses

1 cat

They have saved countless lives and comforted many more. 

They asked little but kindness, company and shelter.

We owe them more than we can ever repay.