Chantal Borremans, Dog Companion at the Civil Protection

Chantal Borremans, Dog Companion at the Civil Protection

From 2001, Chantal Borremans volunteers as a dog companion at the operational section of the Civil Protection in Ghlin. Together with her four-year old dog (Mechelse Shepherd) called “Ipso”, Chantal searches for survivors under the debris of collapsed buildings after earthquakes have occurred. In her daily life, Chantal works as an assistant conducting crime analysis at the Federal Police. 

Chantal: “ I receive a lot of satisfaction from training and guiding my dogs when looking for victims, inside the country as well as abroad. About ten years ago, I went on a B-FAST operation after an earthquake struck Algeria with my first dog called “Zingou”, a now retired Golden Retriever. Later on, “Zingou” and I participated in an exercise in Poland and in many search and rescue actions in Belgium. Meanwhile, we are mostly training together. It takes almost two years of training to receive a certificate allowing to be deployed within the USAR (Urban Search and Rescue) module of B-FAST. We train at least once a week to keep our skills up to the mark whether it is searching under the rubble, obedience, agility or stamina. Moreover, we also participate in national and international trainings through B-FAST or other institutions. 

As a dog companion you need to be very passionate about your job in the first place. You need to invest a lot of time into your dog and your training. Often one is confronted with dangerous situations, both for your dog’s health as for your own. On top of this, the job is also emotionally very demanding because you get in touch with victims and tragic conditions. In other words, a dog companion’s job cannot be underestimated, but one day, saving someone’s life by finding him just in time, makes all efforts worthwhile.