Introduction
In the hearts of Chinese people, the "Wenchuan Earthquake" is a lasting pain. In May 2008, an 8-magnitude earthquake occurred in the Wenchuan area of Sichuan. The ground shook for a while, and countless people were crushed under the rubble. This tragic earthquake also took away the lives of many compatriots. I don’t know how many people still remember the military dog Shen Hu who rescued 15 people during the Wenchuan earthquake? It used to search for victims during the day and be alert for aftershocks at night. It and the rescue fighters moved the people of the country. Now, thirteen years later, its current situation is heartbreaking. Life and death are tragic. This little hero has left the world long ago, but his story cannot disappear.
01
After the Wenchuan earthquake, relevant departments sent a large number of rescuers to Wenchuan to provide support. Among them was a special hero, the two-year-old military dog "Shen Hu". After the earthquake, Shen Hu, who rushed to the disaster area, rescued the people and protected the soldiers during dozens of hours of intensive rescue. Now more than ten years have passed, and it has reluctantly left this world.
It is understood that Shen Hu is a German Shepherd with excellent genes. At the end of 2006, he was bought by the Nanjing Fire Department when he was just born. His first trainer was Si Kai, who named him "Xiao Hei." Shortly after, Si Kai retired from the army. After the new trainer Shen Peng took over him, he liked Xiao Hei very much and named him "Shen Hu" again.
Shen Hu is a lively military dog, and he is also picky about food. In order to "please" Shen Hu and gain his trust as soon as possible, Shen Peng often made snacks in different ways to feed him during the training process, and almost made his tongue treacherous.
02
On May 12, 2008, an earthquake occurred. Search and rescue dog Shen Hu and the rescue team received emergency mobilization and rushed to Beichuan, the epicenter of the earthquake. Among the rubble and rocks, Shen Hu tried his best to search for the breath of life with other search and rescue team members, never letting go of any possibility of rescue.
In fact, many people do not understand the dangers of search and rescue dogs. After a disaster, time is of the essence, and the best search and rescue time is the golden 72 hours. Therefore, search and rescue dogs often have to work continuously for more than ten hours or even days, and it is common for them to collapse on the ground from exhaustion.
After an earthquake, there may be aftershocks at any time. Unprotected search and rescue dogs constantly shuttle through the ruins, and may be hit by sudden buildings and rocks at any time. Some may fall and become disabled, and some may lose their lives. In such a situation where rescuing people is extremely dangerous, Shen Hu, who is only two years old, was able to save 15 survivors in a row.
At the search and rescue site, due to the severe water shortage in the disaster area, Shen Hu relied on a few compressed biscuits every day. The long-term lack of water also caused him to develop stones. In addition, during this difficult search and rescue, his cardiopulmonary function was severely damaged, he often coughed violently, and even developed symptoms of shortness of breath. He could only eat compressed biscuits for meals. His favorite meatball soup was now even made by Shen Peng and he could not eat it.
03
During the 14-day rescue operation, its hind legs were injured more than once, and its weight also plummeted by more than ten kilograms. After the search and rescue, Shen Hu rested for several months, but his physical fitness was far less than before. During a search and rescue operation in Nanjing, Shen Hu was scratched on his hind leg by a sharp steel bar. Although his fur was soaked with blood, he still managed to complete the mission. Shen Hu was indeed a well-deserved meritorious dog.
In 2016, the eighth year that Shen Peng and Shen Hu got along, the older Shen Hu’s physical fitness could no longer keep up with the speed of search and rescue. At this time, both the meritorious dog and Shen Peng had reached the age of retirement. At this age, Shen Peng could not bear to leave this comrade with whom he had lived and died together, so he wrote an application report, imploring the organization to agree to retire with Shen Hu and take care of his retirement life. In the end, the relevant departments agreed to the application.
After retiring, Shen Peng took Shen Hu back to his hometown of Chengdu and took care of it with his wife. In his spare time, Shen Peng often took it around to travel. He knew that Shen Hu, who was eight years old when he retired, might not have much life left, and he must cherish every day he spent with him.
In September 2019, this day came. Although Shen Peng took meticulous care of Shen Hu, the patients left behind in the search and rescue missions in earlier years still overwhelmed his body. After a stroke in May of the same year, his body seemed to collapse all of a sudden. His health was good and bad, and finally left us. According to Shen Peng's later description, there were a few reluctant tears left in the corners of Shen Hu's eyes when he left.
Conclusion
As working dogs, military dogs have to go through much more training and pain than pet dogs. Due to long-term and arduous training, most retired military dogs have serious illnesses and injuries, and their average age is much lower than that of pet dogs. Although Shen Hu is a military dog that cannot speak, he has done a lot for us in obscurity. 13-year-old Shen Hu is already considered a long-lived dog. Other search and rescue dogs in Wenchuan have already passed away one by one. Fortunately, he met Shen Hu and was very happy in his later years. As military dogs, dogs have always tried their best to protect their good friends, humans, and used their own silent ways to protect their homes and countries, and protect their lives and happiness.