Finnish dog Riina has become a celebrity in Estonia

Text Petri Saraste
Photos Petri Saraste, Leif Rosas

Anu Saarto's sons Mirco and Elmar are good friends with Riina the dog.

Two-year-old dog Riina and her owner Anu Saarto were prominently featured in Estonian media last summer. Anu and her dog have toured Estonia at various events and distributed first-aid kits to those in need. The special duo have appeared in in Postimees, Hiiuleht, Rapla Sõnumid, as well as on local radio stations.

Anu Saarto’s company sells first aid kits with, for example, a variety of sterilised dressings, plasters, wipes, and vinyl gloves. There are also instructions on how to act in emergency situations, such as in the event of eye damage, burns, broken bones, or unconsciousness.

The dog plays a significant role in sales work, as people recognise the first aid vest attached to her harness and ask if the dog is specially trained for first aid tasks.

“I’ve been selling these first aid supplies for 18 years now and the dog is helpful in meeting people, even to the extent that the dog somehow instinctively guides me to whom I should go to talk about matters related to first aid”, says Anu Saarto, Riina’s colleague and owner.

“I visit Estonia about 6-9 times a year and I always stay for a week or two at a time. In the country, we have received a lot of positive publicity and feedback.”

In Finland, the pair have appeared every summer at various events, camping areas, and harbours where there are a lot of people on the move.

“You can also follow Anu and Riina on the Tiktok account “Anu and the firstaiddog”.

You can watch a video of Riina and Anu here. 

To learn more about this and similar topics
Anu Saarto events Finland First Aid First Aid Dog Hiiuleht Postimees