The nomination "Our Brothers": The service dog of the Republican Ministry of Emergency Situations took part in rescue operations in Turkey, Myanmar and more than once found "lost ones" in the forest.
A white-toothed smile, endless devotion in his eyes, a fan tail: meet this charming, burning brunette search and rescue dog Dark, - this is how the journalists of the Belarus Today edition speak about our hero. Since 2021, this dog has been serving in the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus as part of the cynological team of the ZUBR Republican Special Forces Unit.
"Dark was born on October 3, 2020, and was selected according to strict criteria: lack of cowardice, curiosity, and resistance to loud noises. And after a course of general and special training, which included work in forests, abandoned sites and an obstacle course, Dark was allowed to conduct real searches," the press service of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Belarus said.
Dark chose his man himself when it was time to work in pairs – at the dog training center, the dog was the first to approach the dog handler Sergey Yazinsky. That's how they started working together. The first trip in search of a man who got lost in the forest was a debut for both the dog and the dog handler. He showed that Dark is a really good search dog who doesn't make mistakes.
"Dark confidently headed into the impenetrable thicket, and I decided that he was mistaken: well, why would a person go there? I called him back. And a little later, while combing the area, it was there that the lost man was found. After that, I began to completely trust the dog," says Sergey Yazinsky, an inspector and dog handler at the Dog training service of the ROSN ZUBR Search and Rescue and Fire Fighting Center of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Belarus.
And Dark really saved his first human life at the age of one year. When he found a mushroom picker who got lost in the cold and rainy weather in the forest of the Myadel district, he was already unconscious. The dog started barking, and a rescue team responded to the voice and coordinates of the GPS tracker attached to his collar. Then there were many more similar trips, Dark worked in forests all over Belarus. In 2025, Dark has already saved at least four lives just because of his nose and diligence in his work. The dog easily found lost people in the woods, and one man even had to be searched 20 kilometres from the place where the dog handler was called.
The search and rescue dogs of the Ministry of Emergency Situations should not be afraid of heights or engine noise. Before embarking on a long-distance journey by plane, they make helicopter training flights and even parachute-free landings.
"Our rescuers are positioned as a heavy-duty squad; we are able to carry out the most complex search and rescue operations in conditions of major disasters. So, one of the main requirements of INSARAG (the UN International Advisory Group on Search and Rescue) is the presence of experienced dogs in the squad. Dark, along with three other "colleagues", demonstrated his search skills. The tests were successful," Sergey is proud of his partner.
Dark showed his search skills perfectly in Turkey, when he worked there as part of a rescue mission from Belarus after the earthquakes.
"When we were working in Turkey, our Turkish colleagues were very pleased with the Belarusian dog. The fact is that a woman's voice could be heard from under the rubble, but it was impossible to understand exactly where it was coming from. Dark looked around for a couple of minutes, sniffing: he had never seen such large-scale destruction before. And then he pointed out as accurately as possible the place where the victim was, and she was quickly removed. But initially they were going to drill in a completely different place," says Sergey Yazinsky.
In March 2025, Dark was involved in an international rescue operation in Myanmar. For his courage and high efficiency, he was awarded two medals "For participation in emergency response." The service dog in the Ministry of Emergency Situations is also called an athlete dog - he is a regular participant in the championships of the BFSO Dynamo in the service all–around of dog handlers.
But, as it turned out, Dark is also a real smiling dog for children - a constant and irreplaceable participant in dog therapy programs. For a long time, the white-toothed good-natured man has become a welcome guest in boarding schools for children with special needs and disabilities. He allows himself to be stroked and hugged as much as he likes, he will even forgive a twitching tail. It seems like small things, but it helps children develop communication skills and reduces anxiety levels. Dark has already conducted more than 30 such sessions.
Photos - the publication "Belarus Today".