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Four dogs working for Cyprus
By Joe Lewis
DOGS are one of the integral parts of any landmine disposal team, and it turns out that there are just four of them working to make Cyprus mine free.
Marsha, Arka, Vera and Rocky – Belgian and German shepherds from Bosnia – have been working tirelessly for the past two years to clear Cyprus of landmines, and have so far helped to remove 2,810 mines.
The eight-year-old dogs – chosen for their obedience, intelligence and acute sense of smell – are veteran mine finders, seeing service in Kosovo and Croatia and now Cyprus.
Ljubisa, who is one of only two landmine disposal dog handlers on the island, said that although the job is undoubtedly dangerous, the animals are relatively safe. “No dog from our organisation has ever been hurt or killed by a landmine, and I haven’t heard of any from other organisations either.”
The dogs are specially trained to search for the mine, and when found, they immediately alert the handler. “The dogs enjoy the work,” says Ljubisa, “and every time they find an explosive they are rewarded by playing with a small orange ball.”
It takes about six months to train the dogs, and cost between $5-7,000. Using 50-year-old methods, the dogs will work in designated boxes, searching 10m˛ areas in about 15 minutes for a trace scent of TNT. Once located, the disposal team moves in to detonate the bomb, and the dog’s work is done.
Landmine facts and figures
IN 2003, the United Nations estimated that someone is killed by a landmine every 20 minutes. Those not killed are maimed for life, losing limbs and being seriously traumatised.
Every year, around 100,000 landmines are removed, but two million are planted. It costs about $5 to lay a landmine, and $1,000 to remove one. If no more landmines were laid, it would take 1,100 years to remove all currently in existence, and cost over $30 billion.
In 1997, the Mine Ban Treaty was signed by 133 countries officially banning the laying of anti-personnel mines (mines that target people directly); however, the world’s largest landmine producers – United States, China and Russia – have not signed up to the treaty.
http://www.cyprus-mail.com/news/main.php?id=29213&cat_id=1
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www.JusticeForCyprus.com
