ZAGREB, 7 Aug, 2021 - A Croatian Air Force firefighting plane on Saturday returned to the Zemunik air base near Zadar from Turkey, where it had been helping put out major wildfires in the region of Antalya.

The plane left Croatia on 2 August, with two crews on board.

It performed 82 flights, dropping 438 tonnes of water and consuming 19,205 litres of fuel, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

Minister Mario Banožić thanked the Croatian pilots and technicians for performing their tasks professionally, noting that the Croatian Army was always ready to promptly provide assistance, not only in Croatia but abroad as well.

"This mission contributes to the promotion of the Croatian Armed Forces' reputation and capabilities. Our colleagues in Turkey welcomed us warmly and assisted us throughout firefighting operations. They expressed gratitude to the Croatian people and the Croatian Army for their help," he said.

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ZAGREB, 11 July, 2021 - The Croatian Firefighting Community has decided to support the national campaign for ending the practice of tethering dogs.

The community's president Slavko Tucaković has recently said that unfortunately during their rescue operations firefighters witnessed sometimes cruelty towards animals, when they could not rescued chained dogs.

They were also shaken by images of chained dogs during their rescue operations in the earthquake-hit Sisak-Moslavina areas in late 2020, which prompted the to join this campaign for banning the chaining of dogs.

The HGSS mountain rescue service has already joined the campaign.

The Croatian association - Animals' Friends - proposed the ban on keeping dogs on chains together with the Čakovec asylum and Victory NGO. They received support for their proposal from the PETA organisation.

PETA called on Croatian officials to take the necessary steps and support the ban on keeping dogs on chains which is already prohibited in many European countries like Austria, Germany, Hungary and Malta and in some states in the USA.

The Animals' Friends association recalled that the suffering of dogs on chains was highlighted in 2020 when volunteers went to help earthquake-struck areas in Sisak-Moslavina County where they came across dogs on chains, abandoned and left to die in the ruins.

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January 26, 2021 – Firefighter Srđan Botica from Slano near Dubrovnik was inconsolable after his hero Petrinja rescue dog Alice was poisoned a few days ago. Although irreplaceable, Srđan's friends could no longer stand by and watch him grieve undeservedly, so they bought a brand new Belgian Shepherd puppy to cheer him up

Srđan Botica was inconsolable after the death of his dog, Alice. Although she was still quite young, Alice and Srđan had built a strong bond between them. The training required for a dog like Alice to become a specialist search and rescue dog will have that kind of effect. The relationship Srđan established with Alice was strengthened both in his workplace, where Srđan is a firefighter and at home, which is where Srđan brought Alice each evening.

The final test of the pair's attachment was to be the rubble left in the aftermath of the Sisak Moslavina earthquake. Srđan volunteered to travel from Dubrovnik to help in the response. Alice became a Petrinja rescue dog, scouring the damaged and fallen buildings for survivors. The inseparable pair stayed for six days undertaking their work.

Srdan and Alice at work after the earthquake

As TCN was saddened to report over recent days, the partnership of Srđan Botic and his Petrinja rescue dog Alice was tragically cut short within weeks of their return. Alice was poisoned on the streets of her home in Slano, near Dubrovnik.

Though Petrinja rescue dog Alice was one of a kind and can never be replaced, the friends of firefighter Srđan Botica could no longer sit by and watch his undeserved grief. Over the last couple of days they clubbed together and bought Srđan a new dog. Srđan's new housemate goes by the name of Amy and she's still just a puppy. Amy is a Belgian Shepherd, the exact same breed as Petrinja rescue dog Alice.

It is probably still too early to say whether Amy will follow in Alice's pawsteps to become a search and rescue dog. But, Belgian Shepherds are one of the best-known breeds for this kind of work. They are used as search and rescue dogs by firefighters and mountain rescue in many countries, and as police and military dogs. They have a good reputation as sniffer dogs, particularly in the field of finding illegal drugs. Several Belgian Shepherds have been decorated for bravery and they are very protective of their owners and handlers.

The US Secret Service, Israel Defence Forces, Indian NSG commando unit and Royal Australian Air Force use Belgian Shepherds in their work. The breed is second in number only to the German Shepherd for use across the whole of the US Armed Forces.

They are the heroes of Croatia. Exhausted, committed, relentless. Great article from leading Croatian portal Index.hr on the firefighters of Croatia.