KUALA LUMPUR, May 10 ― Patron, the mine sniffing Jack Russell Terrier, has been awarded a medal by Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky to recognise its services since Russia's invasion.
The pint size dog's owner Myhailo Iliev, a major in the Civil Protection Service, also received a similar award, Reuters reported.
Patron has been credited with detecting more than 200 explosives and preventing their detonation since the start of the war on February 24, quickly becoming a canine symbol of Ukrainian patriotism, according to the news agency.
The award ceremony was made during a news conference Zelensky had in Kyiv with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.
Patron the dog, the legend of this war, got his presidential award today, too. How cute is that!#dogsofukraine #StandWithUkraine pic.twitter.com/HUsimtKWdz
— olexander scherba🇺🇦 (@olex_scherba) May 8, 2022
Seemingly excited with the award, Patron had barked and wagged its tail before Zelensky handed the award to Iliev.
In a statement to the media, Zelensky said Patron not only neutralises explosives, it also teaches children the necessary safety rules in areas where there is a mine threat.
According to the BBC, Patron has become a focal point of Ukrainian patriotism and regularly features in videos on official Ukrainian social media channels.
It has inspired a number of artworks by fans across the country, ranging from illustrations to knitted animal replicas.
Among them is a sketch of Patron urinating on a Russian missile wearing its signature safety vest.
Another features Patron in front of two backgrounds ― one half showing a grassy park next to a ball, while the other features the remnants of a bombed building.
