A Belgian Shepherd with a congenital disability has become a full—fledged employee of an elite military unit, the special forces. This was reported by the South China Morning Post, as reported by Lenta.ru.
Barton was born in 2019 at a police dog kennel, and had a congenital defect in his front leg that effectively left him with three legs.
Veterinarians recommended euthanasia because the dog was unfit for duty. Volunteers rescued the puppy and found him a family. However, he was soon returned to the police—due to his strong hunting instincts and lack of training, Barton had become aggressive.
At the kennel, dog handlers began to notice that the dog was watching the training of other dogs with interest. As a result, the dog handler Li Xiaodong noticed him and began to train him. Xiaodong then used crutches himself due to a leg injury sustained in 2016. Barton's enthusiasm inspired him — the dog handler realized that he himself could return to physical activity in order to fully continue his service.
Li began training with Barton. The dog demonstrated fearlessness and stress resistance, and was able to accurately detect weapons and drugs by scent. At age two, he passed the police exam and officially joined the riot control canine service.
Photo: Weibo