Every summer, hundreds of specially trained canine lifeguards leap from helicopters or speeding boats to bring aid to troubled swimmers off Italy's popular beaches. These "lifedogs" wear a harness or tow a buoy that victims can grab, or a raft they can sit on to be towed back to shore. According to the Associated Press, the Italian Coast Guard rescues about 3,000 people every year, and their canine helpers are credited with saving several lives.
It takes three years for the dogs - mostly large Labradors, Newfoundlands and golden retrievers - to reach expert rescue status, and currently 300 dogs are fully trained for duty, Roberto Gasbarri, who coordinates the Italian School of Canine Lifeguards program at a center outside of Rome, told reporter Francesco Manetti. "Dogs are useful in containing the physical fatigue of the lifeguard, to increase the speed at which casualties are retrieved, to increase the security of both the casualty and of the lifeguard," Gasbarri said. "The dog becomes a sort of intelligent lifebuoy. It is a buoy that goes by itself to a person in need of help, and comes back to the shore also by himself, choosing the best landing point and swimming through the safest currents."
