By Emma Mortiboy | Public Fundraising
Hello and welcome to your latest report on your support of APOPO’s HeroDOGs. The last three months have been very productive!
In Cambodia, two of APOPO’s Technical Survey Dog (TSD) handlers and their dedicated canines received accreditation on October 31st, 2023, allowing them to start working out in the field. The accreditation demonstrates our dedication to ensuring that our teams in Cambodia, including our skilled dog handlers, are fully prepared to carry out their duties to the highest standard and effectively address on-site challenges.
The TSD program in Cambodia plays a central role in APOPO’s landmine clearance operations. These exceptionally trained dogs, fondly nicknamed HeroDOGs, under the guidance of their skilled handlers, are an integral part of our team, contributing to the detection and clearance of landmines and other explosive remnants of war (ERW). Their remarkable olfactory capabilities and rigorous training equip them to identify concealed explosives, making them indispensable assets in our ongoing efforts to ensure the safety of local communities.
The successful graduation of these 2 new handlers and their dogs strengthens our operational capacity in addressing landmine contamination in Cambodia. APOPO is committed to providing specialized training to local recruits and to making a valuable contribution to the safety and well-being of local communities. These graduates will play an essential role in our ongoing efforts to promote a safer and more prosperous future for the people of Cambodia.
In Türkiye, our HeroDOGs finished their last task in October as the project period came to an end. They will be taking a break for the winter, and will be moving to Azerbaijan to join the team there for operations next year. APOPO started joint operations in Türkiye in 2021, in partnership with The Development Initiative (TDI), as a part of the UNDP Eastern Border Mine Clearance Project. Our dog teams have been working on minefields near the border with Armenia and Iran, and include Türkiye’s first two female civilian mine detection dog handlers, Ayse and Merve. This project stands as a testament to the transformative power of collaborative efforts, illustrating how demining initiatives can go beyond the removal of physical obstacles and extend to breaking down societal barriers and encouraging positive change. Watch the video and hear their inspiring stories.
In Angola, Azerbaijan, and South Sudan, our HeroDOGs continue to work diligently, although will be taking breaks intermittently between tasks and of course getting their Christmas treats as well! We are also excited to update you on the commencement of our HeroDOGs clearing land in Senegal in the new year.
Since 2017, thanks to you, APOPO has been training traditional mine detection dogs and is the first organization in the world to successfully train Technical Survey Dogs (TSD). We are proud to be helping so many countries now and we hope you are too.
We also hope that you have a restful and wonderful holiday season and a truly brilliant 2024 ahead!
Thank you so much as always for your incredible support of our HeroDOGs, your support truly does save lives and limbs.
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