JOHOR BARU: Malaysia hopes to reduce its dependence on imported rescue dogs and eventually export locally bred canines overseas, says Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming (pic, below).
He said the country had successfully produced its first locally bred canine through the Fire and Rescue Department’s K9 operation centre.
“I am proud to share a historic achievement by the Fire and Rescue Department, where a Labrador named Lottie safely gave birth to a puppy.
“I hereby name the puppy ‘Brave’, with the hope that it will grow into a courageous four-legged hero in rescue operations,” he said during the national-level International Firefighters’ Day celebration yesterday.
Nga said the birth marked a significant step towards reducing Malaysia’s reliance on imported rescue dogs from the United Kingdom, which typically cost about RM150,000 each.
“Previously, the K9 unit sourced dogs from a breeding centre in Birmingham, where they were bred and trained before being sent here.
“With this breeding centre, not only can we produce local champions, but we can also achieve cost savings of more than 82%.
“My vision is for Malaysia to one day export these dogs back to the United Kingdom, as well as to neighbouring countries such as Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia.”
Nga added that the government had approved an allocation of RM2.4mil to procure 16 sniffer dogs from the United Kingdom.
On another matter, he said the Fire and Rescue Department would receive 6,000 new sets of fire-resistant suits by August as part of efforts to strengthen firefighters’ preparedness nationwide.
He said the procurement forms part of the Federal Government’s RM437.2mil allocation to improve the department.
