links: http://www.army.mil.ph/pr/2015/oct/121015.html
An Army rare breed
FORT BONIFACIO, Taguig City – At four
years old, Roy has done wonders not everybody of his kind can do. Grief
loomed in a village in Mankayan, Benguet when landslides brought by
relentless rains claimed the lives of people, displaced families, and
damaged houses and infrastructure. Search and rescue teams from
different government agencies were deployed to locate the missing
persons, believed to have been buried in mud and debris. Amid the
painful reality of loss is the families’ hope of finding their loved
ones. Roy helped rescue teams locate the missing persons. Only months
after graduating from his combat tracking training, Roy led the team in
the vicinities where some of the victims might have been buried.
His potential to become a military
working dog was discovered while he was at the K9 headquarters in Fort
Bonifacio. At his tender age, he showed a drive, characterized by his
love for balls (toys), running around, and chasing and playing with the
handlers. Exhibiting these traits, he went through the Basic Obedience
Training. After which, he specialized in combat tracking and finished
the 6 months training just last February at Fort Magsaysay in Nueva
Ecija. He was then deployed at the 5th Infantry Division in Upi, Gamu,
Isabela. “Roy is a special military working dog (MWD). Despite being a
mixed breed, he is intelligent and capable. He can keep pace with the
pure breeds,” said Sergeant Wilfredo Fiesta, the team leader of the 5th
K9 Company involved in the search and retrieval operations in Benguet.
Fiesta has been an MWD handler for almost 10 years already.
Roy’s handler, PFC Crisanto de Gracia,
has been continuously training Roy. “Part of our daily routine is the
continuous training exercise. As a handler, it is important to develop a
bond with the dog. We do this with daily activities so that we can both
be familiar with each other,” said De Gracia. For his involvement in
the search and retrieval operations in Benguet, Roy and the Army K9
Battalion received a Certificate of Recognition from the Bureau of
Animal Industry.
Roy was also given a star by the
Intelligence Service Group (ISG), during their anniversary, for being a
search and rescue dog. Hero Dogs At present, there are 149 MWDs at the
Army K9 Battalion deployed in the different units of the Philippine
Army nationwide. They are combat tracking dogs, explosive detection
dogs, and scout/attack dogs. These hero dogs are deployed during
search, rescue and retrieval operations; and in military operations
against lawless elements. #
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