Standerton’s SAPS dog unit, known as the K9-unit, is of great value to the community and has been instrumental in solving many crimes,but the police officers usually  get the honour in the media, while the canines are in fact the unsung heroes. 

Standerton K9-unit has five patrol dogs that are used to run down fleeing suspects and also train others as ‘petrol’ dogs to sniff out petrol, explosives, fire-arms and ammunition. 

These dogs are useful in road blocks because they can sniff out fire-arms cleverly hidden in compartments in vehicles.  Without these dogs, police would have to strip a vehicle to detect hidden illegal substances and objects.  

A fired pistol or rifle leaves traces of gunpowder behind and this is what the dog is able to pick up.  Standerton K9 unit also has a tracker dog good at following a trail.  This Doberman is used to follow stolen livestock and thieves by tracking their footprints. 

A ‘narcotic’ dog also forms part of the team and is used to sniff out drugs in buildings and vehicles, as well as a ‘search and rescue’ dog.  This highly trained animal dog can smell the blood of a deceased person through water and will point out the general area in which divers should search for a body. 

These amazing animals have to go on a training course of approximately four months with their human partners so that they can learn the tricks of the trade together and also learn to trust each other. 

The officers see their dogs as partners and the dogs even have their own personnel numbers, like any other police officer.  They have a medical aid to make sure they are taken care of when they are ill and if necessary they go on sick leave. 

When old age creeps up, or when they are no longer able to perform their duties, they are boarded or bought by their partners, a measure taken to ensure provision for the rest of their natural lives. 

The dogs are cared for at the K9-unit kennels by Mr Solly Nkosi when not actively involved in ‘crime busting’ with their human counterparts. 

The SAPS has a facility in Pretoria where police dogs are bred and then distributed to the K9-units in need of new dogs.  Because of the huge demand for dogs, this process can take a long time.

Standerton’s K9-unit urgently requires a dog suitable for training to assist Constable T Madonsella, one of the unit’s members.  They would prefer a German shepherd dog under the age of two years for this purpose and would be ever so grateful for a donation of such a dog by the public.

Please call captain Opperman Ditshego on 017 712 0100 should you be able to donate a dog.  GB