They served the country, now they need a home
SAF dog unit ‘retirees’ are looking for a new home
Labrador retriever Diesel and german shepherd Meky have been with the military longer than their full-time national servicemen handlers.
The two nine-year-olds were trained to be sniffer dogs, but only Meky was deployed on security operations.
Sadly, the time has come for the two Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) stalwarts to retire.
And both, like the other 16 dogs about to retire, need loving homes to go to.
The SAF Military Working Dog Unit has an ongoing adoption drive to find these dogs a home. (See report below.)
Diesel's handler, a full-time national serviceman (NSF),Lance corporal Timothy Koh, said: "Diesel has been with the military for so long. He deserves a loving family."
Lance Cpl Koh, 22, said: "Diesel likes cuddles and kisses. When he comes up to me, he goes into a belly rub position, almost like he's expecting one."
Even though he worked with Diesel for only about two months, he considers Diesel his "best friend".
LOYAL
He said: "Diesel will always look out for me. Whenever there's another dog walking by, he'll stick closer to me (because he's trying to protect me)."
Meky's handler, Lance Cpl Eddy Kwoh, 19, is close to his dog as well.
He said that whenever he passes Meky's kennel, it will recognise him and walk towards him.
Lance Cpl Kwoh, who has worked with Meky for seven months, calls the dog his "little brother who has trouble taking care of himself" because when Meky does a "number two" (slang for poop), he will have to clean Meky up.
When he first started working with Meky, it was unable to do a trick called "paw", where it would put its front paw in his palm.
Lance Cpl Kwoh said: "Now, when I approach Meky, he will put his paw out."
Although both handlers would like to adopt their dogs, the dogs are not on HDB's list of approved breed to be kept in flats.
Bring me home
Some of the dogs up for adoption
NAME: BOBBY
AGE: 13
GENDER: Male
BREED: Labrador retriever
PREVIOUS JOB: Sniffer dog
LOOKING FOR: Someone who can pat his head and give him belly rubs. Bobby needs a strong owner because he might just pull his owner along when he gets curious about things.
NAME: TARZAN
AGE: 9
GENDER: Male
BREED: Labrador retriever
PREVIOUS JOB: Sniffer dog
LOOKING FOR: An owner who does not get sore over losing their morning races together. Tarzan is not a picky eater, but he needs someone to offer him treats. He will be on his best behaviour for it.
NAME: ANGUS
AGE: 13
GENDER: Male
BREED: Golden retriever
PREVIOUS JOB: Sniffer dog
LOOKING FOR: Angus is happy enough for two people. Need someone to cheer you up after a long day? Angus is on it. He is also easygoing and eager to please his owner, so as long as you return the favour with treats, a pat on his head or a good scratch under his chin.
NAME: CHARLIE
AGE: 12
GENDER: Male
BREED: Springer spaniel
PREVIOUS JOB: Sniffer dog
LOOKING FOR: Charlie's future owner should be fit enough to take the active dog out for walks or runs. The loyal dog is always eager to please. Charlie needs an owner to love him and for him to shower affection on.
Five things you need to know about the adoption:
1 The dogs have basic obedience training. This means they understand basic commands such as come, sit, stay, heel and down.
2 The dog breeds are not approved by the Housing and Development Board (HDB), so potential pet owners should have space to accommodate the large dogs.
3 These dogs can generally live up to 16 years .
4 To adopt, first make an appointment to interact with the dogs by calling 6424-6623 from 8am to 5pm.
A house visit will be conducted to assess if the living conditions are suitable for the dogs before final approval of the adoption.
5 This is an ongoing adoption drive.
Newly retired dogs will be added throughout the year, so do not get upset if you are unable to adopt one right now.
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