Four-Legged Rescuer Gary Recognised in the “Firefighter of the Year” Awards

The four-legged rescuer Gary has received one of the honours in the “Firefighter of the Year” awards, together with his owner, junior expert Georgi Kostadinov from the Eighth Regional Fire Service in Sofia. The pair were recognised for their contribution to the development of fire safety and the protection of the population. Kostadinov and his two dogs play a key role in searching for and rescuing people from collapsed buildings in the Sofia area.

Behind the award lie daily efforts.

“These are efforts not only of mine, but of many people. Above all, of my wife, for putting up with me in this, because this is a daily job. It is a demanding daily effort. I travel abroad for a lot of training, because in Bulgaria there is no one to show you how to do this,” explained junior expert Kostadinov, head of a duty shift in the Kremikovtsi unit of the Eighth Regional Fire Service in Sofia.

Gary has taken part in several significant operations, the most important of which was the gas explosion in Bankya.

“Gary’s most significant operation was the gas explosion in Bankya. He has also taken part in other operations, assisting the police. But this was the most notable, widely reported one, during which he found a victim of the explosion and significantly assisted the work of colleagues on the ground.”

Speaking about his second dog, Killer, Kostadinov said it arrived with its name at the age of six months.

“It had been rejected by canine training services, as police dogs are required to have a certain level of aggression.”