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Russian puppy donated to France unfit for K9 service — media

Dobrynya, a German Shepherd puppy, was sent to France in January 2016 as a sign of support and solidarity after the November 2015 attacks in Paris

PARIS, December 17. /TASS/. Dobrynya, a Russian puppy donated to France as a sign of solidarity after last year’s deadly attacks in France, has been found unfit for K9 service, the Europe 1 radio reported Friday citing own sources.

Dobrynya, a German Shepherd puppy, was sent to France in January 2016 as a sign of support and solidarity after the November 2015 attacks in Paris. He was to replace seven-year-old Belgian Shepherd Diesel, who was killed in a police raid in a northern Paris suburb of Saint-Denis.

"Despite months of training, Dobrynya is unable to serve in the RAID unit," the radio said.

According to sources, an x-ray revealed that the dog suffers from dysplasia of back legs, a hereditary disease common in German Shepherds. Due to the health problem, Dobrynya cannot serve as an attack dog, while his size prevents him from being trained as an explosive-or drug-sniffing dog.

"Although Dobrynya cannot take part in operations, he is still a member of RAID, where he has already become a kind of mascot," the radio said.

A police source told TASS that the dog underwent a thorough health examination before being taken to France, which included an x-ray screening to rule out dysplasia.

"An international veterinary certificate for a police dog includes a list of vaccinations and a certificate of absence of genetic disorders and was issued by a state-run veterinary clinic," the source said.

However, according to the source, dogs are recommended to undergo dysplasia screening at the age of 12-18 months. Dobrynya was only two months old when handed over to France.