In central military hospital BogotaAn unusual unit patrols the hallway with a mission contrary to any other battalion: raising the souls of the soldiers injured in the war.
Cretos, Rafa and Lupa form the so -called “cute forces”, a group of emotional support dogs, who go to meet the members of the service after being injured in clashes with illegal armed groups in Colombia.
One -one by one, the three dogs enter the 2 SGT room. Jeisson Sánchez Duque, who was shot while fighting in the northwest province Antioquia. The most senior cretos of dogs greeted her with a claw after receiving behavior. Then, Lupa settled on the floor and the Sanchez brushed her as he sat due to his back injury.
“It’s something different … you forget the pain and focus on dogs,” Sanches told the Associated Press.
Soldiers are still struggling with stains in Colombia with a decades long struggle, killing 450,000 people and forced 7 million to flee their homes. Despite the 2016 peace agreement between the government and the country’s largest guerrilla group ForekeVarious armed groups still work in Colombia. These groups, including some people, who were broken by FARC, include valuable illegal economies running through the area vacated by FARC and valuable illegal economies through them, including drug smuggling.
Started after a visit to an animal care organization in April 2024, the program aims to provide psychological assistance and easily recovery for soldiers facing both physical and emotional marks, including dissection from landmines and injuries from drones dropping drops.
According to the coordination of human affairs for the United Nations Office (OCHA), explosive devices in Colombia have increased by 94% between January and July. The hospital has also increased in patients who have been injured by explosives initiated by drones.
Was donated by kratos Air forceThen Rafa and then two more dogs were donated by the army by the hospital doctors.
The program has expanded so that patients can be provided welfare breaks for their own dogs and welfare breaks for employees.
The hospital’s Deputy Director of Medical, Eliana Petricia Ramirez explained to AP, “(dog) shows a benefit in the patient’s recovery, supported by physical changes during conversation, which we can see as entertaining, but in this case, they are medical to patients.”
For Soldier Louis Miguel Lopez, who lost his foot part for a mine in Puerto Waldivia in Antioquia province, dogs’ trips helped break through depression felt while in hospital.
Anubhav also reminded him of Goma, who is an anti -explosive dog, who saved his unit several times before being killed by an explosion.
He said, “I was very sad in my room, because I was there. My wife supported me, but it was not that,” he said.
“When those dogs come, they change you because they bring happiness.”
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