By Emma Mortiboy | Public Fundraising
Welcome to your quarterly update on the HeroDOGs! Your generosity has continued to help communities around the world affected by landmines, and we have an exciting update on our work in Ukraine!
Last time, we told you about the HeroDOGs and deminers, who have officially been deployed in Mykolaiv, Ukraine, where they are actively detecting landmines and other explosives, helping to make the land safe again.
We are delighted to let you know that we have already reached an incredible milestone, having already surveyed over 1,000,000m2 of land, highlighting the importance of using HeroDOGs in mine action due to their increased efficiency.
By distinguishing between contaminated and safe areas, the surveying process dramatically increases the efficiency of land release. This means families can return to their land more quickly, begin farming, rebuilding, and resuming their lives, while clearance efforts are focused where they are truly needed most. Thanks to the HeroDOGs, these areas of Ukraine are being made safe in a fraction of the time it would take using manual methods alone.
Of course, none of this would be possible without support such as yours, and you can read more about the HeroDOGs’ work in Ukraine here.
APOPO’s HeroDOGs - Technical Survey vs Mine Detection
Our HeroDOGs are trained in two distinct but complementary roles, making them an exceptionally versatile and valuable asset.
As a Technical Survey Dog (TSD), a HeroDOG’s job is to cover large areas of land quickly, detecting whether any trace of explosives is present. This helps survey teams identify which areas require detailed clearance and which can safely be released back to local communities without further work. The focus in this role is not on finding individual landmines, but on efficiently mapping out contaminated and safe areas. TSDs help dramatically reduce the time, cost, and risk associated with land release. Surveying with dogs is faster than manual methods, and it ensures that clearance teams can focus their efforts where they are needed most.
As a Mine Detection Dog (MDD), the HeroDOG’s role is much more precise. In this capacity, they are tasked with detecting the exact location of individual mines, unexploded ordnance, or other explosive hazards so that they can be safely removed by human deminers. This work requires a high level of concentration and discipline, as MDDs work carefully, marking each find for safe disposal by indicating their presence at a safe distance (one meter).
What makes APOPO’s HeroDOGs so remarkable is their ability to seamlessly switch between these two roles depending on the needs of the mission and the conditions of the land being surveyed.
How your support of the HeroDOGs helps communities
Your support enables our HeroDOGs to free people from fear and open up opportunities for communities across the world. One such example is Sokken, a 38-year-old farmer in rural Cambodia.
Sokken lived in fear for many years, knowing that landmines and other explosives lay hidden beneath the soil of his village. Like many others, Sokken’s family fled conflict during his childhood, and on their return, they found their land was contaminated and unsafe.
That began to change when APOPO, working alongside the Cambodian Mine Action Centre (CMAC), launched a clearance project in Sokken’s village. HeroDOGs played a vital role in this effort, helping to survey and detect hidden explosives so that demining teams could safely clear the land. With your support of the HeroDOGs, 10 hectares of farmland were made safe and returned to the community.
Today, that land produces 60 to 70 tons of rice annually, giving Sokken the ability to feed his family, invest in his farm, and finish building his home. The HeroDOGs’ work — thanks to the support of donors like you — has turned what was once dangerous ground into a foundation for hope and prosperity.
Your continued support of the HeroDOGs is a vital part of what has been achieved – thanks to you, we are transforming lives and helping families reclaim their future.
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