Dog brigade in Lower Austria

Flood: “Rescuers on four paws” now in need themselves

The dog rescue brigade in Lower Austria is up to its neck in water.(Bild: ÖRHB/Baumann)

The devastating storms also hit the training grounds of the rescue dog brigade throughout Lower Austria. Two areas were completely destroyed.

The local dog rescue brigade relies heavily on its training grounds. Two of the 13 locations in Lower Austria have now fallen victim to the huge flood disaster - the areas in Hofstetten-Grünau and Klosterneuburg were ruined by the floods.

"For young dogs in particular, it is important that they practice as often as possible for the real thing. But the older four-legged friends also need constant training so that they can perform at their best in an emergency," emphasizes regional manager Rupert Lorenz.

Clubhouse and cellar under water
The four-legged rescuers are called out on more than 40 missions a year. And this is very often the case when the human comrades reach their limits. For example, it is often hikers who have gone missing, people with dementia or children who are missing. And this is exactly where the disciplined dog teams come into play to help find people, usually under the most difficult conditions. "The water is in the clubhouse and cellar in Hofstetten-Grünau. The water pipes around the building have been undermined and the training ground is unusable," says Lorenz, describing the severe damage.

He hopes that they will soon be able to start training there again on a makeshift basis, as the animals were spared during the hot summer days and training sessions were held less frequently. This may not sound like much activity to the average person, but for the dog handlers it means that they have to train their cold snouts less than two or three times a week.

Young dogs in particular often have to practise for emergencies. In general, however, we need a lot of training to be successful in an emergency.

Rupert Lorenz, Leiter der Rettungshundebrigade

Relocation planned
The "rescuers with the cold snouts" in Klosterneuburg weren't lucky either, but at least they were able to mitigate their misfortune. They were just about to move from the old site to the new one when the floods came. "So a lot of things were already packed up and could be brought to safety more easily," says Lorenz, explaining that the water was also so high on the new site that it has not yet been possible to enter the area: "Judging by drone footage, the water there is about a meter high. That will take some time." The squadron there can train with others for the time being.

Nevertheless, the extent of the disaster is huge - many building materials and training equipment fell victim to the masses of water throughout the country. They now have to invest a lot of money and work to get back to normal. "We have to maintain our level of training. Human lives are at stake," says Lorenz, appealing for donations for the national group of the Austrian Dog Rescue Brigade.