Umhlali Saps K9 unit gains new recruit: K9 Zeus ready to serve with dedication
Public generosity fuels acquisition and training of K9 Zeus.
An outpouring of community support has ensured the Umhlali Saps K9 unit will soon have its newest officer.
K9 Zeus, a two-year-old Dutch Shepherd, will do his best to fill the boots of a retired K9 Dante, becoming warrant officer Clinton Odayar’s partner in crime fighting.
Dante’s recent retirement left a void at the unit, which plays a huge role in search and rescue operations across the northern reaches of the province.
Zeus was donated by IPSS Medical Rescue’s non-profit wing, which raised the R60 000 purchase fee and an extra R40 000 which will be used for training.
“The response from the community was incredible, we basically raised the entire sum in 48 hours,” said IPSS Medical Rescue’s Samantha Meyrick.
“Most of the funds came from a telethon that we did with Radio Life & Style, but we also received a lot of direct donations from businesses.”
Zeus was purchased from a private K9 training facility in Pietermaritzburg and was personally selected by Odayar.
Photo: IPSS Medical Rescue.
There remains some paperwork and training to be done, but Zeus will soon become a fully fledged part of the Umhlali Saps team.
“We met each other and got on really well, so I’m looking forward to getting out in the field with him,” said Odayar.
“He’s at the ideal age and has already had high level training, so he should be able to make an impact as soon as he’s properly registered.”
Search and rescue dogs play a significant role in finding missing persons and recovering bodies.
With Dante, Odayar found 22 people alive and brought closure to almost 400 families in their nine years together.
“Dante was trained as a cadaver dog which makes a huge difference in search missions,” said Meyrick.
“During the most recent floods, one of the bodies recovered was found deep in mud and would simply never have been seen without Dante’s help.
“Zeus is also trained as a cadaver dog and will be able to do much the same thing, it’s a very important aspect of body recovery.”
Meyrick thanked the community for their swift fundraising effort.
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