Bergville businessman hands over litter of pups to K9 officers
Mr Patel and his family took the decision to donate the puppies to the K9 Unit after being touched by an article in the Ladysmith Gazette.
After reading the front page story of the Ladysmith Gazette about K9 Unit officer Henko van Zyl getting a brand new puppy, Bergville businessman Bashir Patel decided he could also make a difference in the war on crime.
Mr Patel handed over a litter of five puppies to the Ladysmith K9 Unit on Wednesday last week, much to the delight of the officers.
Mr Patel and his family took the decision to donate the puppies to the K9 Unit after being touched by the above-mentioned article in the Ladysmith Gazette.
“My wife and I decided to do this because the K9 Unit does good work with their dogs, especially in combating crimes involving drugs. So many families are torn apart by drugs and we saw this as an opportunity for us to do a good deed for the community,” explained Mr Patel.
The litter consists of five puppies, four males and one female. They are German Shepherds and are now 12 weeks old. The female was named Niki by the Patels, but the four males are as yet unnamed and will be given names later by the SAPS. The five have been taken to the Roodeplaat Training Institute, where they will be evaluated for training.
Their training will start when they are about a year old. The temperament of each dog will be evaluated and this will guide trainers in deciding on which of the 11 dog disciplines each puppy will be suitable for.
The 11 dog disciplines are as follows: patrol dogs that deter crime and apprehend suspects; tracker dogs that follow trails and tracks over long distances; narcotic dogs that search for drugs; sheep dogs that help Stock Theft Units to round up stolen animals; explosives dogs that detect explosive devices; search-and-rescue dogs that search for survivors of natural disasters or search for bodies in dams and rivers or elsewhere; biological body fluid detection dogs that detect human body fluid; fire investigation dogs that pinpoint the area where a fire has started or in searching for flammable substances; protected species dogs that detect substances such as abalone, rhino horn, or ivory; carcass and hide dogs that work with Stock Theft Units to search for animals that have been slaughtered; and currency detection dogs that are able to detect money.
“We know the dogs will be well looked after and we pray to God that each puppy will make a significant and positive contribution to the fight against crime when they start work,” added Mr Patel as he bade the puppies goodbye.
Every dog lover knows how heart-wrenching it is to say goodbye to your dog, so how much more so when you say goodbye to five cute puppies that have wormed their way into your heart. “We appreciate this sacrifice by the Patel family and thank them kindly for their selfless gesture” is the message from Ladysmith police.
Captain George Hlongwane from the K9 Unit thanked the Ladysmith Gazette as well for the much-needed exposure in the media.
