Why cops are searching for a missing elite Belgian Malinois dog worth Sh700k
Police officers in Meru County have been tasked with searching for a dog that went missing this week.
The officers attached to Tigania Police Station were deployed to search for the dog which was stolen from its kennel. In a report, police say that the dog is named Jet.
“The dog nicknamed Jet was found missing on Tuesday at about midday by one of the guides. It was seven years old,” the report read in part.
The guide has gone to the kennel to feed the dog only to find it empty. Police say that the dog was one of the best trained within Meru County.
Being of the Belgian Malinois breed the brown dog is known to be expensive as it may cost up to a whooping Sh700,000 depending on the level of training and age.
According to the police, the dog was picked by someone who understands it well and knows all its movements.
It is worth noting that the police department also has a dog unit whose headquarters are located in Lang’ata.
Dubbed Lang’ata K-9 the dog unit was established to help the police officers in conducting searches whenever there is such a mission.
In addition, the unit plays a critical role in the well-being of the dogs as it supports their care, procuring, and training the animals plus their handlers.
The unit has about 5,000 dogs deployed in counties and at key institutions like airports, water reservoirs, Parliament and the Kenyatta International Convention Centre. Some are attached to VIPs, especially the president.
Police dogs are usually handled with care as they are highly trained and their rearing takes a long time and is expensive, officials say.
These dogs have always played a critical role, especially in matters of preventing criminal activities, tracking down drug traffickers and also sensing armed individuals.