THE four COVID-19 sniffer dogs who work at Helsinki Airport screening passengers for the illness have received a Special Hero Dog Award from the Finnish Kennel Club for their work.

Every year the club hands out awards to heroic canines that have helped save lives, but this year Finland’s coronavirus-sniffing dogs have received the club’s Special Hero Dog Award. The dogs started work sniffing for COVID at the airport at the end of September.

“These four dogs are hero dogs in a league of their own. With their work, they have had a positive effect on people’s well-being around the world. These dogs also highlight the importance of dogs in society – nothing could replace our four-legged friends,” Harri Lehkonen, the club’s chair said.

The club cited a research by the University of Helsinki on companion animals, which found that dogs can detect COVID-19 more quickly and reliably than lab tests. The canines were trained by Wise Nose, Finland’s Smell Detection Association.

The dogs are to continue working at the airport and testing arriving passengers with the help of skin swab samples until the end of the year, according to the club.

(SD-Agencies)