Cambodia Dog Names

Muriel, the brown and black Belgian Malinois jumps excitedly these days, always showing Yulia Khouri affection. The iconic duo hangs out at the Animal Mama Veterinary Hospital and Pet Wellness Centre in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh, where Yulia is founder. You may not know it, but both Yulia and Muriel are heroes. Yulia is a longtime animal rights activist, and a Canadian expat, while Muriel is a retired minefield dog. Her job consisted of helping to clear minefields in former war zones around the world.

Key words there: around the world. That means Muriel has helped deactivate bombs in the Middle East, Europe, Asia, and more. She's travelled more than most humans have, let alone animals. The pair met in 2016, when Muriel had just retired, and Yulia adopted her. Muriel was 10-years-old at the time.

Interestingly enough, Muriel's last assignment had been in Cambodia, where they are notorious for euthanizing de-mining dogs. This is something Yulia knows well, so she did two things about it. One of them was to adopt Muriel to save her life. The other was to establish Home of Heroes in 2017. Home of Heroes is the world's first retirement home for de-mining dogs and Belgian Malinois puppies that are not deemed up to the task. The job isn't for everyone, for obvious reasons.

In Cambodia alone, there are tons of mines. In fact, it's still one of the most heavily mined countries in the world. Civil war, US bombing campaigns, and even the brutal Khmer Rouge reign that lasted from 1975 to 1979, all contributed to many, many mines. It's to the point that in certain parts of the country, farm workers and laborers are often killed by these remnants of the past.

And it's not just deadly to humans either. These mines kill wildlife, and even some of the de-mining dogs in charge of deactivating the mines in order to prevent further death and destruction. So, the fact that Muriel made it to retirement age in one piece is a sight to behold. It's a testament to her abilities to sniff and detect danger.

But it's because of this that so many de-mining dogs get euthanized: because they're well-trained to detect, control, and work. They're not really pets, and they're not easy to handle. In fact, they're driven and difficult to rehome. It's safe to say that Yulia saved Muriel's life, and that the world needs more people like her. But it's also safe to say that together, these two make an extraordinary pair.