Many dog lovers out there are unaware that swimming isn’t actually a skill that is born with our doggos. Although many of them can manage to stay afloat, not every pup can survive in deep waters. For those who can swim, they relish being in the water, especially when they spend quality time with their humans.
However, these dogs in Italy have taken it up a notch. They have become actual lifeguards that are recognized by the government. These pups have graduated from the Italian School for Lifeguard Dogs. Founded by Ferruccio Pilenga, they have over 350 volunteer dogs that are capable of doing water rescues in the Toscolano-Maderno region.
It all started in 1989 when Ferruccio adopted a Newfoundland pup named Mas. He trained him to become an aid in saving drowning people, and he realized that this is a more efficient way of saving people. Ferruccio explained that these aquatic canines offer two awesome benefits.
For the lifeguards, having these dogs around means that they won’t have to exert as much effort as they usually do. It’s having two people teaming up to do the rescue. Ferruccio even joked that in order to pull a sled, humans need six dogs, but for saving six people in the water, they only need one dog.
Of course, the presence of the doggos is a big bonus for everyone involved, especially the one being rescued. Just imagine how much trauma a person feels after almost drowning. Dogs are the best at providing emotional support because they’ve been doing for thousands of years.
For now, Italy is the only country in the world that recognizes dogs as actual lifeguards. But Ferruccio is hoping that his team’s success will inspire the world to train doggos for this purpose. He is now starting to expand his school outside of Italy so that soon, all the beaches in the world will have at least one furry lifeguard.
Credits: Great Big Story