They have faced down some of the most dangerous criminals in South Africa. They are feared by even the most hardened drug lords. They have relentlessly searched for abducted children and uncovered grotesque murders; shallow graves; and hastily disposed of bodies. They have stared death in the face on too many occasions to count, braved the line of fire and even come back from the brink of death caused by drug poisoning. They work gruelling hours and undergo intensive training to selflessly serve and protect the innocent against criminals. They forego any form of payment for their work and ask for nothing more than a loving handler, a warm place to sleep and a meal at the end of a long, hard day. These are just some of the working police dogs at the Silverton SAPS unit that have devoted their lives to serve South Africans – without question and without a second thought for their own lives.

In recognition of the excellent work done by our canine guardians, the Silverton SAPS Dog Unit has been nominated to receive some tender love and care as part of the Glenrand M-I-B Police Station Renovation campaign in partnership with Talk Radio 702. The SAPS dogs will soon be housed in renovated quarters courtesy of Glenrand M-I-B as part of a campaign to support the South African Police in its fight against crime.

The campaign was launched in August 2009 to support the men and women in blue in the fight against crime. It has drawn significant public support and nominations for stations that have delivered outstanding service to the local community. The Station Renovation campaign runs until June in Gauteng and will also launch in the Western Cape on 8 February.

“The power that rests in the simple gesture of ‘thank you’ should never be underestimated. The incredible appreciation and notable improvement in service delivery that accompanies each renovation, along with the powerful relationships that are being forged between communities and the South African Police Services has been an emotive and rewarding journey. Projects like this certainly give our men and women in blue the courage to do one of the most dangerous and thankless jobs with pride and honour. Such seemingly small contributions make vast improvements and there is much that corporate South Africa can and should be doing to elevate the fight against crime,” explains Adam Rakgalakane, from Glenrand M-I-B.

“The working dogs at the Silverton Dog Unit comprise of Border Collies; German Shepherds; Cocker Spaniels; Labradors; Belgian Shepherds; Bloodhounds; Rottweilers; and Boxers. Each dog undergoes intensive training and is paired with a loving handler to serve as either a patrol; narcotic; explosive; tracker; protected species; sheep; fire detection; or search and rescue dog,” says Captain Collette Weilbach, SAPS Head Communication and Liaison Service at Brooklyn.

“Some of the residents at Silverton Dog Unit have achieved celebrity status and are feared by criminals and drug dealers across the country. Milton, a German Shepherd, has been involved in the search for Sheldean Human and Leigh Matthews among others. Another dog named ‘Boef’ has made headlines in his ‘arrest’ of fleeing criminals from numerous crime scenes. Our pride and joy, Emma, a golden Cocker Spaniel, was recently put on pension after 10 faithful years of service in the narcotics department where she had helped to close down 12 drug laboratories and to put more than 350 drug dealers behind bars,” explains Captain Weilbach.

“There is simply no value that can be given to the support that our canine units give to the South African Police Services. To most of the handlers their dogs are not only their best friend, but a trusty business partner as well. They play an important role in the daily fight against crime and have added significantly to search and rescue services, narcotics inspections and patrols. Each dog and its handler work together as a team. They need to trust each other with their lives, which makes pairing the dog with the correct handler absolutely crucial,” says Captain Weilbach.

Some of the renovations that Glenrand M-I-B has done at the Silverton Dog Unit include:
· The kennels were moved and secured;
· Painting;
· Replacement of the roofing on some of the kennels;
· Installation of a gate to separate the dog unit from the flying squad;
· Touch up and maintenance to the staff quarters and kitchen;
· Installation of three floodlights;
· Installation of three chlorinated hosepipes, to help clean the kennels; and
· The addition of new training devices.