Abandoned puppy transforms into Customs' star detection dog

The Customs shared the heartwarming journey of Alpha, one of its detection dogs that overcame a challenging start as an abandoned puppy with cataracts and became a respected colleague with a keen sense of smell.

A post shared on Monday (Feb 10), which also celebrated Alpha's third birthday, revealed that the puppy was on the verge of death when it was rescued two and a half years ago during an operation aimed at combating animal smuggling.

The officers decided to keep Alpha and train it as a detection dog. However, veterinarians diagnosed Alpha with cataracts during its first medical check-up, warning its vision might decline as it aged, which could affect its mobility and possibly lead to blindness.

Despite these challenges, Alpha has excelled in training, becoming more sensitive to strangers and its environment due to its vision issues and past smuggling experiences.

The once-dying puppy has now grown into a robust and skilled detection dog, weighing 33 kilograms, and safeguards Hong Kong's safety alongside its Customs colleagues.

"Regardless of what happens to your eyesight in the future, you don't have to be scared anymore," the dog handlers said at the end of the video. "You're not an abandoned dog anymore — Customs is now your home."

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