Rosa:Saving the world!

Rosa, a Belgian Malinois, was born in the Netherlands on August 20, 1993. This beautiful dog was in the Shepherd family of canines, and the “breed of choice” for mine detection dogs. Because of her intelligence, stature and high prey chase, Rosa, and others like her, are able to work in minefields for six to eight years, or longer.

These wonderful dogs come from small “mom & pop” breeders in Western & Central Europe and are among the highest caliber of working dogs in the world. Rosa, along with nearly all of the lifesaving dogs that the Marshall Legacy Institute has given to severely contaminated, war torn countries to “sniff out” landmines and save lives, was trained by Global Training Academy in Somerset, Texas. GTA is the only organization in the US that trains mine detection dogs.

During her working life Rosa served in Bosnia, Croatia, Guantanamo Bay, Lebanon, Kosovo and Namibia. She had been taught to detect 11 different types of explosive odors. She searched for landmines for nearly eight years clearing an estimated two million square meters of land, and saved or directly improved the lives of tens of thousands of people.

Rosa became an official “member” of the MLI staff on March 5, 2005, when Kimberly McCasland, our CHAMPS (CHildren Against Mines Program) Director, completed an abbreviated Mine Detection Dog Handler Course at GTA and brought Rosa back to live in Virginia with her and her daughter, Rachel.

Rosa traveled all over the United States as the Canine Ambassador of the CHAMPS Team doing simulated minefield demonstrations and meeting wonderful schoolchildren and caring, global citizens wherever she went. This incredible dog received the “Hero Dog Award” from the American Animal Hospital Association, the “Paul Harris Fellowship” from Rotary International, and even starred in her own “Dogged Detective” episode on Animal Planet.

Sadly, just 3 minutes before that Animal Planet Episode was to air on May 31, 2006, Rosa died of cancer. The illness was sudden and she was surrounded by those who loved her right to the end. We at The Marshall Legacy Institute salute this precious canine heroine who gave everything she had to humanity, only asking for affection and care in return.