Security measures at the Paris Summer Olympics have been ramped up ahead of the games.
As many as 45,000 police and 18,000 soldiers are guarding the event and the city, with two police dogs and dog handlers coming from Finland.
The dogs, named Nalli and Quattro, and Senior Sergeant Mika Lekkerimäki and Senior Constable Heikki Nyman, arrived in Paris on 11 July after a long journey of three days by car.
Police dog Nalli is already familiar to the public. Last winter, there was much publicity about an incident where the dog found a cold, unconscious boy in a snow drift. At the time, Nalli was dubbed a hero dog by many in the media.
Since arriving in France, the dogs and handlers from the Finnish police have represented the country on the streets of Paris, assisting local police and organisers with any tasks needed.
Nalli and Quattro are special explosive detection dogs, meaning that they are trained to search for explosives in various locations.
Dog days of summer
Certain routines have already been established for their working days.
"Local police tell us where we're going. A local police officer comes from the accommodation to pick up the motorcade. We head to the destination with an escort. It's been a busy last six days," Lekkerimäki said.
Nalli is a seven-year-old Labrador retriever who normally works at Helsinki Airport. Quattro is a seven-year-old Belgian Shepherd malinois whose normal workplace is at the Eastern Finland Police Department in Mikkeli.
"The destinations vary a lot. That's the biggest difference. The other is temperature. It can get really hot during the day. You have to be creative and think about how to cope with it. But there are a lot of dogs here from all over the world, so we can handle things really well," Lekkerimäki told Yle.
During the lead-up to the Olympics, temperatures in Paris have been well over 30 degrees Celsius.
Lekkerimäki said he understands the large number of police officers at the Olympics, as it is the biggest event of the year in the world.
More than 2,000 foreign police officers from over 40 countries will be involved in security operations at the Paris Olympics.
France specifically requested Finland to send two explosive detection dogs to the Olympics. The Finnish group has been working with their Austrian colleagues.
"It's been a great experience," Lekkerimäki told Yle.
EDIT 28.7.2024: The original story linked to a story about a different case in which a police dog found a child in a snow pile last winter. The link now points to the case in which Nalli was involved.
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