Soldiers in the Polish Army have come up with an initiative to give military ranks to service dogs in the Armed Forces. The army has confirmed that the Chief of General Staff has responded positively to this request. Spokesperson for the General Staff, Colonel Joanna Klejszmit said that there are around 120 military dogs serving in the Armed Forces.

Recognising the merits of the K9 (canine, meaning dog – ‘k’ and 9 – ‘nine’) unit in combat operations, soldiers have come out with a proposal to give military ranks to service dogs.

“The Chief of General Staff of the Polish Army intends to respond positively to this demand by introducing appropriate regulations soon”, reported the official social media profile of the Polish Army.

The plan is to implement a scale from dog private to dog sergeant. Commanders of the units in which the dogs serve will have the right to confer military rank on the dogs. Attached to the post is a video showing the K9 in action. Among other things, the footage shows the dogs serving in the Polish Army training for attacks or parachute jumps with their handlers.

Spokeswoman for the Polish Army’s SG, Colonel Joanna Klejszmit, in response to media inquiries, said that the dogs called up for military service are multi-purpose; they take part in missions abroad, participate in parachute landing, help soldiers detect explosives, search for weapons and ammunition.

Before dogs are qualified for courses preparing them for service in the army, they undergo a series of tests. Its predisposition and health are the most important; gender and breed are of lesser importance. Physically fit and mentally resilient dogs are taken into the army.

The colonel said that German Shepherds, Belgian Shepherds, Labradors, and Dobermans most often serve in the army. There are currently around 120 military dogs serving in the Polish Armed Forces.

Arkadiusz Słomczyński