After surviving rocket attack in Ukraine, Rambo finds new purpose as police dog in Hungary

The three-year-old German Shepherd was accompanied by Ukrainian soldiers on the front line of the war in eastern Ukraine. In a rocket attack, half the face was destroyed by shrapnel. It was uncertain whether Rambo’s life could be saved, but the three-year-old underwent emergency surgery and survived.

Now he has moved to Hungary’s capital, Budapest, where he has started training as a police dog. Rambo learns how to meet children, older adults and people with disabilities, explains Lieutenant Colonel Maria Stein.

Respect and tolerance

Rambo gets to show off his skills at police demonstrations and rehabilitation centres, she explains further, and says that demonstrations with police dogs are part of the Budapest police’s crime prevention programme. The aim is to teach young people to become more tolerant and respect each other’s differences, she says.

– Today it is unfortunately the case that children make fun of each other because they wear glasses, because they have string, because their ears look weird or whatever because they are different. With Rambo, we can make these children more sensitive and we can show them that yes, he is injured, he is different, but he can do the same as other dogs, says Stein.

Rambo’s transition from a life by the soldiers’ side to becoming a police dog has been a long one. It was last year that he was hit by shrapnel from a rocket attack. Some of the Ukrainian soldiers were also wounded in the attack. Parts of Rambo’s skull disappeared. The jaw was broken and the right ear was seriously damaged.

Long-term rehabilitation

After the first operation, Rambo was transported to safety in western Ukraine. There he was taken care of by Violetta Kovacs, who heads a Hungarian organization that takes care of German Shepherds in need. She transported him on to a rehabilitation center near Budapest.

– The dog needed immediate help, says Kovacs.

– We had to operate on him again here in Hungary because several of his teeth caused great pain as a result of the injuries. This required immediate intervention, she says.

Rambo had to stay at the center for eight months. There, the jaw was reconstructed, the right ear amputated and he had several teeth removed. He was trained to get along with other dogs, but it was noticed from the beginning that he was particularly fond of children.

Gyula Desko of the Budapest police subsequently adopted Rambo. He gave him further training and a home.

Inspiration for others

He refers to Rambo as a very friendly and kind dog who shows great progress in training. That he survived was a miracle, says Desko.

– Working with him requires more patience and more attention, as we do not know what kind of psychological problems the head injury has given him. But Rambo is so open to people and accepts them, despite the injuries and shock that hit him, says Desko.

It is these qualities that the police force hopes will be able to inspire people who meet Rambo, says Desko.

– Through Rambo as a police dog, you can see that it is possible to live a fulfilling life even when you are injured and that you can serve society and be able to do many things, says Desko.