YEREVAN. - These magnificent four shepherds are not merely man’s best friends but also fellow workers of the Armenian Emergency Situations Ministry. The Armenian News-NEWS.am reporter visited Investigation Canine Squad of the Special Rescue Center.

According to the Rescue Service member Hayk Mnatsakanian, currently four shepherd dogs serve in the center, while the fifth, Tcibo, is still a puppy.

“That was a gift. We participated in the exhibition-competition and were presented with a Spanish mastiff puppy. The gift is very valuable for us, although, due to the breed, we can’t work with him,” Mnatsakanian said.

The oldest serving dog, Jack, is 2-year-old, while Chucky is slightly younger. The other two dogs are 1 year old each. The dogs are trained by the squad employees, who train them to search for human, as well as the bodies.

“We have attended police courses. Our service is new and we desperately need the experience of colleagues,” he added.

Excluding dogs, there are seven employees in the squad. According to the deputy commander of the squad, Lt. Lilit Ghazaryan, dogs are fed with professional dry food. The cost of these dogs is extremely high.

“Once [Russian Defense Minister] Shoigu was asked the same question. He said that their Labrador costs about as much as a jeep. But for us, our dogs are priceless,” Kazarian stressed.