Hong Kong airport gets first ever dog squad, but not only for detecting contrabands

Hong Kong International Airport’s Aviation Security (AVSECO) will be setting up its first ever dog squad at the airport not only to enhance security, but to also welcome inbound travelers with their waggling tails.

Ten canines from the Netherlands and Belgium have been acquired by the security company earlier. Along with their handler, they will be deployed in phases to patrol the terminal and surrounding areas after completion of training, sniffing out contrabands at the airport.

Three of the canines have already been deployed at the airport starting May, handling security at the non-restricted area.

However, the squad will not be replacing the police canine unit stationed at the Airport Police District.

“The squad will assist in their (police canine unit) work, sharing the workload with them to strengthen security at the airport. The airport’s security is our top priority,” said Martin Tsang Fan-kwok, assistant executive director of AVSECO.

Meanwhile, these “man’s best friends” will not only handle security at the airpot, but also work as goodwill ambassadors to welcome travelers.

Instead of a red “On Duty” patch, when there is a green “Pat Me” patch shown on the canine’s vest, travelers at the airport can feel free to “pat them down” and take photos with them after getting permission from the dog handler.

In order to accommodate the dog squad, the Airport Authority has allocated an area inside the restricted area of the airport for a two-story kennel. The kennel was specifically designed to house individual resting blocks for each canine, grooming and quarantine facilities, and an indoor training area for canines’ daily living and exercise.

In addition to the kennel facilities, the Authority has also earmarked an outdoor space of 2,400 square meters near Scenic Hill for the squad’s training.