Umzinto Saps K9 unit loses four-legged colleague Snow
Two weeks prior to his death, Snow tackled a wanted housebreaker in Umzinto.
The Umzinto Saps K9 unit said goodbye to Snow, a German Shepherd who shadowed Warrant Officer Paul Loubser.
Snow developed stomach complications and lost the battle on November 11.
Loubser and Snow worked together for more than a year, and successfully tackled many suspects resulting in their arrest.
Two weeks prior to his death, Snow tackled a wanted housebreaker in Umzinto.
K9 Umzinto has four dogs, three of which are tackle dogs and one protected species dog.
Saps stated that K9 units are a uniform specialised service that renders total operational support to police stations in districts through the aid of trained handlers and their dogs.
The operational functions of K9 handlers can be classified as medium to high risk. There are 11 dog disciplines which include patrol dogs, tracker dogs, narcotic dogs, sheep dogs, search and rescue dogs, protected species dogs and others.
“It is a special sight to see a handler and his K9 partner working together,” said Ugu District Saps.
“Saps dogs receive exceptional care. They are fed a diet of high-quality pellets, groomed regularly, and receive their regular vaccinations. A handler must exercise his dog to keep him in peak physical health and ready to protect him or her in any given situation.”
“K9 dogs are more than just dogs, they have an employee number and can be regarded as an extension of the handler as they closely operate as one.”
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