The Dogs of Chernobyl

Written By Maria Pashos

Photographs by exploring photographer Suzanne Easton of the United Kingdom

The large majority of dogs living within the Chernobyl exclusion zone do not exceed five years of age. Surprisingly, radioactivity likely has very little to do with it.

The Chernobyl nuclear tragedy began on April 26th, 1986, when reactor unit four experienced a steam explosion and fire as the result of a power surge during a systems check. Evacuation of the people residing in the surrounding areas, however, did not begin until roughly thirty-six hours later, on April 27th.

The evacuations began with the nearby city of Pripyat, boasting a population of 49,000 people, and expanded shortly thereafter to cover an area of 1,600 square miles and relocating roughly 200,000 people, many of whom were pet owners. Although we do not know the details surrounding the evacuation of citizens in populated areas beyond Chernobyl and Pripyat, we have an all too vivid account of the evacuations of these immediate areas closest to the nuclear power plant.

In order to expedite the evacuation of Pripyat, citizens were asked to bring only what they could carry, with an emphasis on important documents and small valuables. They were told that they would be returning home in a few days time. Many left extra food and water out for their pets, thinking that they would be reunited soon. Others left notes on their doors for authorities, informing them that their beloved pets were at home, and begging that the “Liquidators,” a task force made up of military members, soldiers, and volunteers responsible for containing the effects of the crisis, would spare their pets and provide them with food and water until they could return to them. We now know that these efforts were in vain and that, in fact, a note on the door was most likely a death sentence for these beloved animals.

Being that Chernobyl was the first event of its kind, little was known of the dangers excessive quantities of radiation could pose to large populations and land expanse. Liquidators were instructed to shoot any animals on sight, both wild and domesticated, in order to prevent radioactive matter from traveling with them beyond the exclusion zone – a precaution which, along with a host of others, would eventually be deemed unnecessary, and in the case of the dogs, would even prove to be unsuccessful as the descendants of many dogs survived and still live in the abandoned areas and forests surrounding Chernobyl and Pripyat today.

Known for their likeness to German Shepards, most of these dogs were derived from a variety of Eastern European shepherd breeds commonly used as working dogs before the nuclear explosion. In other areas, the dogs more closely resembled Rottweilers and boxer breeds. At some point during the nearly forty years since the event, a portion of the dog population began inbreeding with wolves from the surrounding forests, further enhancing the diversity of their genetic make-up and resulting in the unique breed of dog that we now refer to as the Dogs of Chernobyl.

Although they are genetically distinct from other mutt populations beyond the exclusion zone and across Europe, genetic testing has not lent backbone to the belief that the dogs’ genetic makeup has been significantly impacted by radioactive contamination and it is believed that many of their genetic differences are the result of geographic isolation. Recent studies also indicate that these populations may have adapted over time to withstand long-term radiation exposure, and have developed a higher potential for DNA repair, as well as resistance to cancer.

The most significant dangers opposing their survival are starvation and a lack of shelter during harsh Ukrainian winters. Although some of the dogs are mixed wolf breeds, they are not wolf enough to belong to a pack and so are not afforded the safety of belonging to a wolf family. Wolves are thriving in the exclusion zone due to the absence of humans, which means they have an abundant selection of boar, deer, moose, and other large animals to hunt – much unlike the Chernobyl dogs that hunt smaller prey like rodents, which make especially difficult game during winter. As a result, many of the dogs are heavily reliant on dog food and scraps from workers at Chernobyl (which, despite no longer being operational, is still being monitored by an onsite group of engineers) guards who oversee the exclusion zone parameters, and an organization called the Clean Futures Fund (CFF).

The CFF has made impressive strides to support the health and survival of the dogs within the exclusion zone. Their efforts range from supplying the dogs with food and clean water to providing vaccinations and regular spay and neuter visits. Despite the dogs being notoriously friendly to all visitors, with photographer Suzanne Easton noting how eager for human affection they were during her visit, the dogs are highly intelligent and have learned to recognize the CFF uniform during visits for spaying, neutering and vaccinations. Comically, the organization has had to alter its uniform color on an annual basis as a response to the dogs having learned to run away from the workers during these visits.

Contrary to their reaction to health professionals, the dogs are regularly characterized as being extremely friendly to all visitors and hungry for attention, despite having a very strong pack mentality, a natural symptom of having to survive in a harsh environment. The CFF held active clinics in the area from 2017 to 2019 and was able to limit the spread of diseases caused by inbreeding as well as steady the population size so that there is less competition for food. Although the organization still provides resources for the dogs, the war with Russia has made maintaining a permanent clinic challenging.

By closely monitoring radiation levels, the CFF was able to establish that outside of certain hotspots, most of the dogs’ radiation levels are not dangerously high. Using this research, they were able to negotiate a special permit in 2018 with the Exclusion Zone Management Authority that allowed for the rescue of abandoned puppies from the exclusion zone. As a result, over forty puppies were adopted by American and Canadian families, and although this was a temporary arrangement, and adoptions are now prohibited, it’s yet another positive move in the effort by the Clean Futures Fund to enhance the quality of life for the Dogs of Chernobyl.