Chonino, the dog that was sacrificed.

Despite being one of the most famous dogs in history, Chonino's end could not be happy.

This German Shepherd, belonging to the federal police of Argentina, indeed had a tragic end.

Having been trained as a security dog, he used to accompany non-commissioned police officers on their duties.

During a night of guard duty by two non-commissioned officers accompanied by Chonino and another dog, they observed two suspicious people who were immediately asked for their documentation.

But the two suspects refused and a shootout began after which no one was unharmed.

When Chonino lunged at one of the assailants who had shot at his owner, biting one of his pockets, the other shot, killing the animal.

Thanks to the pocket that Chonino managed to tear into one of the assailants, the police were able to identify and arrest the criminals a few days later.

Argentina celebrates Dog Day every June 2 in honor of the heroic German Shepherd.

He has a monument, a street named after him and his remains rest in the Police Museum.

He was born on April 4, 1975 in Buenos Aires. Of German shepherd breed, although for years they were known as "police dog", for being the type of animal that used force. His destiny was marked: in December 1977 the Argentine Federal Police recruited him for the Dogs Division. There are no records about his life before he joined the police and it is not known why he was baptized Chonino, but many years later his name would be perpetuated in bronze letters on his own monument.

After completing his training and being trained as a security dog, Chonino was classified as a presa dog, that is, he could take action in dangerous situations.

However, in its early years it had happy operations, if you leave aside that it was a time of military dictatorship.

Since his debut in the World Cup, Chonino has not stopped serving. Finally, he was assigned to Noncommissioned Officer Luis Sibert, who would be his guide in many operations. In one of them comes the worst end and the birth of his myth.

The year was 1983. Exactly June 2. There were still a few months to go until the return of democracy, on October 30 of that year. A series of calls to emergencies in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of Devoto require the patrolling of the Federal Police. The police station corresponding to the area is 45. Chonino and his guide are assigned there, who go out to the streets at the call of the neighbors.

They are Petty Officer Sibert, Agent Jorge Ianni, and Chonino. It is night. It's raining. Around eight o'clock at night they notice something strange on Lastra and General Paz avenues, two suspicious people near a business that was about to close the curtain.

The officers walk up and ask the suspects to identify themselves. It does not happen. Instead, a shootout begins. Everyone is injured: the two police officers seriously, the criminals instead manage to flee.

But before they escape, and seeing the two officers wounded, Chonino obeys the attack order and launches himself against one of the criminals. He manages to disarm him, bites him, tries in his own way to stop him. The other criminal, murderer now, shoots at Chonino's body. The bullet passes through his torso. They escape.

In pain, very aware of what awaited him, Chonino returns as best he can to where Sibert is lying. He lies down on him, who is also seriously injured, and there he dies.

When reinforcements arrive in the area and the paramedics notice that Chonino has something clenched between his teeth. They take it. A piece of jacket that he managed to rescue in his attack. And in that piece of jacket, the pocket with the documents of one of the criminals. Thanks to this information, the two will be arrested five days later in the province of Buenos Aires.

Officer Jorge Ianni also dies as a result of this operation. Noncommissioned officer Sibert, on the other hand, survives, after several operations and six months of fighting in the Churruca Hospital. He died 24 years later, in 2007, but he will be alive when, in 1996, June 2 is installed as National Dog Day in tribute to his faithful companion.

Chonino's remains rest in the Argentine Federal Police Museum. His monument, a sculpture of a happy dog, is in the Mounted Police Corps, in a passage with his name between Salguero and Carlos Casares avenue.

"To Chonino," he says, who gave his life to save his guide and friend.

Since 1996, June 2 in Argentina is National Dog Day.

The origin of this tribute, which is celebrated worldwide on July 21, commemorates a tragic but heroic event, where a dog sacrificed itself for its owner.

The protagonist of this story is Chonino who was part of the Federal Police since December 1977.

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