Hong Kong Customs hosted a seminar on government dogs called the "Hong Kong Government Canine Forum" today (May 15) at Hong Kong Customs College, with the participation of the Hong Kong Police Force, the Correctional Services Department (CSD), the Hong Kong Fire Services Department and the Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation Department, which use working dogs for daily operations. Representatives from the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals also joined.
In the forum, the participating parties discussed and exchanged experiences in various topics related to dog management and development programmes, including the areas of canine breeding, welfare and training.
Joining the forum for their first time, representatives from the General Administration of Customs of the People's Republic of China and the Australian Border Force also shared dog management experiences with their Hong Kong counterparts.
A group exercise by government canines was held after the experience sharing and discussion session. By navigating through hurdles, retrieving objects on command and staying and walking at heel, the agility and obedience of the canines were well demonstrated.
Speaking at the end of the event, Assistant Commissioner of Customs and Excise (Boundary and Ports) Mr Chan Tsz-tat remarked that the forum aimed to strengthen the exchange of experience among departments and to formulate an agenda on future co-operation with a view to fostering cohesion for the enhancement of crime detection capabilities.
After Mr Chan's remarks, an officer from the CSD received a wooden plaque symbolising the handover of the host status to the department for the next forum.
Detector dogs are important and loyal partners of Customs officers in their daily operations at the airport, land boundary control points and container terminals, helping them to intercept drugs, explosives and cash in large amounts. Currently, 68 detector dogs serve in the Customs Detector Dog Division (CDDD), making it the second-largest dog team in the Hong Kong Government. They are all passive-alert detector dogs, characterised by reacting in a non-intrusive way, like sitting quietly upon detection of suspicious objects.
Hong Kong Customs will continue to maintain a sustainable development for the CDDD, making its detector dogs excellent partners in law enforcement action.
Ends/Wednesday, May 15, 2019
