Balt was a Belgian Malinois rescue dog who spent his entire life devoted to the service of others; from helping train search and rescue personnel in disaster zones around the world to meeting with dozens of children at therapeutic facilities to offer comfort and lighten their spirits. Balt was born in 2004 but it wasn’t until 2011 that he began his life of service when he joined the Elite K9 Services organization as a search-and-rescue dog.
Throughout his career, Balt traveled to over 25 countries and assisted in over 100 emergency operations, ranging from natural disasters like hurricanes and floods to smaller rescues such as locating lost hikers or missing persons cases. His keen sense of smell made him an incredibly valuable asset in these situations as he could easily sniff out survivors under debris or locate individuals trapped below (or even inside) collapsed buildings.
Not only did he save countless lives during these operations but also touched the hearts of many with his kind nature and fun disposition. Whenever Balt was off duty, he would frequently make appearances at schools, libraries and hospitals offering comfort & support to those in need – something which became especially true after the passing of his handler & best friend Marc Hallam-Smith in 2016: it was then that Balt decided to dedicate his time exclusively to humanitarian aid missions & helping children throughout the world smile again!
Naturally there are countless stories about the heroic deeds this incredible canine has done throughout the years but perhaps one of the most remarkable is how he helped save hundreds of individuals during a large fire back in 2014 at The National Library of Catalonia – an incident which left much devastation behind yet didn’t manage to extinguish Balt’s spirit nor determination, prompting countless awards & recognitions for this special pooch!
But despite all his accomplishments, perhaps what remains most memorable about this four-legged hero is not what he did for others but how much love & joy he spread wherever he went – truly demonstrating that loyalty doesn’t have boundaries (time or species!) but can instead be found everywhere if you really look close enough.
