During April this year, SAPS K9 Black was boarded from his tracking duties due to a heart condition. He was in the care of his handler when he sadly passed away late October.
Black, a mix between a Bloodhound and Bluetick hound, was trained as a tracker dog together with four of his siblings by his handler at Atteridgeville SAPS K9 Training Institution in 2011 when he was a year old.
Following his passing out, Black resumed his new duties as a tracker dog at Humansdorp K9 Unit.
From the early days this spirited K9 presented a promising career in tracking down criminals, who always made his handler and the SAPS proud. He established himself as one of the top tracker dogs in the SAPS K9 and assisted in solving cases of stock theft and housebreaking.
Black played a vital role in retrieving hidden goods, carcasses and identifying crime scenes.
In 2012 his versatile skills again shone as he found a woman who was lost in the Storms river where he assisted the search and rescue team. She was alive. In 2013 a farm owner in the Fort Beaufort area had reported a stock theft case. The enthusiastic Black who was always ready to utilise his skills tracked five stock thieves. The farmer commended the amazing work of Black in a letter to the EC Provincial Head Office and added that his confidence in the SAPS was restored as he had previously suffered immense stock losses.
In 2014 Black and his handler Warrant Officer Konzani were awarded commendations when they were nominated as EC’s top achievers in the crime prevention category and were first runner’s up in the SAPS national awards ceremony which was held in Pretoria.
An emotional handler, Warrant Officer Maurice Konzani who took Black home with him after the diagnosis, said during an interview, “Black had written his own story on SÀPS K9 wall of remembrance. He flew the SAPS K9 tracker dog flag high during his years of service. I salute this gallant warrior who always honoured his calling. I will forever remember my partner as a courageous fighter. Rest in peace my friend.”
South Africa Today – South Africa News
