Quake honor sparks search for more dogs

The Fire Services Department said it will get more search-and-rescue dogs and adjust its training strategy.

In February, two of its six working dogs - springer spaniels Umi and Twix - took part in a search-and-rescue delegation of 59 despatched to quake-hit Turkey. They helped locate four survivors.

The delegation was given the Chief Executive's Award for Exemplary Performance, the Civil Service Bureau said on Facebook yesterday.

The department's search-and-rescue dog team also went to China's search and rescue dog training base in Kunming, Yunnan, last month, where they found their mainland counterparts had a greater variety in species makeup, and would tailor their training depending on the missions' requirements.

The department said perturbation training will be stepped up for its dog team with the sounds of animals and heavy machinery to allow them to stay focused during rescue operations.

It also plans to breed more working dogs with other disciplinary forces and provide a wide range of training to its working dogs according to their duties, such as searching through rubble and debris, as well as mountain search and rescue operations.