The Impact of Losing a Detection Dog

Why The Loss Of One Detection Dog Hurts So Much

Where poaching has decimated the wildlife population in several African countries, domestic dogs have been employed for increasing numbers of forensic, detection, and law enforcement activities, including wildlife trafficking. With wildlife trafficking reaching alarming levels throughout the world and much of the contraband originating from Zambia, it has become necessary to introduce innovative techniques to address this.   

From Conservation South Luangwa, “The dogs and handlers are trained to conduct road block searches, intelligence based village, building searches, border, and airport searches. They are also trained  to track, a  new set of skills. Currently the dogs are trained to detect ivory, firearms, and ammunition, pangolin, leopard skins, mukula wood, and certain species of bush meat.”

Since 2014, and in partnership with Working Dogs for Conservation, a US based NGO, we helped to  introduce Zambia’s first ever wildlife detection dog unit in the South Luangwa to Conservation South Luangwa.  Since then CSL has added over 6 dogs to their team and Conservation Lower Zambezi in the Lower Zambezi has added 2 dogs. 

About a year ago Conservation Lower Zambezi lost one of their dogs to a suspected poisoning and just recently Conservation South Luangwa lost their first dog trained in 2014, Ruger, an amazing favorite of the entire staff, to an intestinal issue.  These dogs are trained by organizations that find dogs that respond well to certain training techniques and many are found in rescue situations.  Once trained they bond closely with their handler and they become a formidable team that seems to read each other’s minds.    

I met Ruger, the first detection dog in the South Luangwa of Zambia, the day he arrived.  He was high energy and ready to go to work right away.  Since the time he was introduced to one of his main handlers, Mike, he had found many pieces of contraband and wildlife, both alive and dead in vehicles driven by poachers.  He likely is credited with catching hundreds of poachers in his lifetime.  When Rachel McRobb (founder of Conservation South Luangwa) shared with me last week that he had died it brought tears to my eyes.   

The cost of just the transportation and on the ground training for detection dogs is upwards of $8000.  But the cost is not what indicates the real value of a dog like Ruger.  He was a team player who loved what he did and each time we lose a dog it is like losing family.  I think anyone who has had a furry friend can relate.

Carol Van Bruggen Kuhn, CEO Africa(n) Hope Fund

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