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Comment by wbraun | Hacker News Reader

Although I was not involved in the study itself, I was a volunteer for the rescue program in Chernobyl in summer 2018 when a lot of the data was collected. I assisted with checking radiation levels / decontamination and operating a whole body radiation counter to measure the radiation levels of the dogs for a different study.

The stray dogs in the Chernobyl exclusion zone were surprisingly friendly. Better socialized and behaved than a good number of pet dogs I see in the USA.

As mentioned elsewhere in the replies, if you think the program is interesting, consider donating to the Clean Futures Fund: https://www.cleanfutures.org/dogs-of-chernobyl/

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> Better socialized and behaved than a good number of pet dogs I see in the USA.

Free-roaming dogs (in non-threatening environments) can socialize much more naturally than city dogs, who spend most of their time isolated indoors with few people and animals to interact with (stunting their social development).

Reminds me of my experience in Copper Canyon in Mexico. You can rent small cottages in one particular location and dogs roam the area. When tourists arrive, the a dog tends to stick to each particular group. The dog walks with you on hikes and sleeps on your porch while you're there. In exchange for snacks and water, but it doesn't beg.

The dogs are as loyal as I've ever seen while you're there. When you leave, they move onto the next group. The area is great, and the dog friend I made, just added to the experience.

my ex is Tarahumara and had a similar experience. It's also true of the dogs of Buenos Aires. (in fairness though: I am not a fan of the lack of spaying/neutering that predominates in Latin and Mediterranean countries).

Just donated. Thanks for posting. I think it is both impressive + admirable that you undertook that kind of work. I donate to a lot of rescue charities and this is a whole totally new area I had never heard of (Chernobyl dogs specifically)

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