If the Marvel franchise has given us anything to go by, being a superhero is incredibly fun. Who wouldn’t want to read minds, stop time, and fly, all the while saving lives? And yet, as exciting as all of that is, any true comic book fan knows of course. ‘With great power comes great responsibility.
While we have only seen superheroes only in movies, lifeguard dogs are becoming real-life superheroes. Actually, a small school in Milan, Italy is teaching brave dogs something special. This school is teaching lifeguard pups to jump in the water for saving the lives of people.
The Newfoundland dog breed has been nicknamed the lifeguard dog and with good reason. Aside from their intelligence and gentle disposition, these dogs are known for bravely saving swimmers in distress.
This special K9 unit can courageously jump from hovering helicopters to speeding boats.
To be able to do so, these amazing dogs must train for a minimum of three years.
To offer better training, this school has partnered with national rescue teams. Like the Airforce, Police, Civil Defence, and more.
The Italian school for lifeguard dogs was founded over 30 years ago by Ferruccio Pilenga. Its sole purpose of preparing dogs and their handlers for water rescue.
Each year, the Italian Coast Guard is able to save about 3,000 people with the help of their Newfoundland companions.
With what started off in the 80s’ with just Ferruccio and his Newfoundland called Mas. It has now expanded to a 10 base organization with over 30 instructors nationally. It’s clear that the face of water rescue is changing completely and we owe it all to our four-legged friend.
