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SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1989
HE CAME BACK WITH FOUR YOUNG GERMAN
SHEPHERD DOGS, TWO MALE AND TWO FEMALE. FOLLOWING VISITS TO 19 BREEDERS AND SUPPLIERS OF DOGS FOR THE POLICE SERVICE IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, THE MIDDLE EAST, EUROPE AND AUSTRALIA.
"ALL THE NEW PUPPIES ARE BRED FROM GERMAN WORKING STOCK. THEY ARE SOME OF THE BEST BRED ANIMALS EVER TO ENTER SERVICE WITH THE ROYAL HONG KONG POLICE, MR LAMBURN SAID.
"I
RANGING IN AGE FROM 14 WEEKS TO SIX MONTHS, THE FOUR DOGS ORIGINATED FROM SUSSEX, DURHAM AND SOUTH WALES. THEY WERE МЕТ ON ARRIVAL AT KAI TAK AND EXAMINED BY SPECIALISTS FROM THE AGRICULTURE AND FISHERIES DEPARTMENT,
"THE PUPPIES ARE NOW SETTLING DOWN IN THEIR NEW ENVIRONMENT. ADAPTING TO THE CHANGE OF TEMPERATURE, THEIR HANDLERS AND COMMUNICATIONS LANGUAGE, MR LAMBURN SAID,
"EACH NEW DOG WILL HAVE ITS OWN HANDLER WHO WILL TRAIN AND OBSERVE HOW THEY WILL DEVELOP INTO PROFESSIONAL POLICE DOGS.
THEM
"THEY WILL BE SET TO WORK IN POLICE STATIONS FOR A WHILE UNTIL THEY REACH 12 TO 14 MONTHS OF AGE. THEN THEY WILL RETURN ΤΟ THE DOG UNIT AT PING SHAN FOR BREEDING.
·
DURING SIX YEARS WE EXPECT THAT THEY WILL PRODUCE UP TO 50 OFFSPRING, WHICH WILL ENABLE US TO ADD TO OUR STRENGTH OF DOGS AND ALSO REPLACE THOSE LOST DUE TO NATURAL WASTAGE.
THE DOG PURCHASES WAS THE SECOND UNDERTAKEN BY MR LAMBURN SINCE HE JOINED THE DOG UNIT IN 1981 WHEN HE BROUGHT WITH HIM TO HONG KONG TWO FEMALE DOGS.
"THERE WERE 81 DOGS THEN AND NOW WE HAVE 90. WE LOSE ABOUT SEVEN DOGS A YEAR THROUGH OLD AGE OR INJURY.
"IN THE YEAR UP TO THE END OF SEPTEMBER A TOTAL OF 285 FOR VARIOUS OFFENCES WERE MADE WITH THE HELP OF POLICE DOGS.
ARRESTS
"THEY ARE BUSIEST DURING THE CHRISTMAS AND NEW YEAR PERIODS BECAUSE OF ROBBERIES IN THE FESTIVE SEASONS,
"TWO BASIC COURSES ARE RUN EACH YEAR AND THERE ARE OTHERS SUCH AS REFRESHER AND RELOCATION COURSES HELD TO IMPROVE THE DOGS' TRACKING AND DETECTIVE SKILLS.'
TOO,
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