16 UK-bred dogs to join JBPM K9 unit by November
KOTA BHARU: A total of 16 dogs from the United Kingdom (UK) to be received by the Fire and Rescue Department's (JBPM) K9 Unit are expected to begin duties in November.
JBPM director-general Datuk Nor Hisham Mohammad said each dog costs around RM150,000, adding that five will be deployed to Sabah, two to Sarawak and the remainder to the department's K9 unit base at Jalan Klang Lama in Kuala Lumpur.
'We expect all the dogs to arrive in Malaysia by October, before commencing duties in November after undergoing several processes and training.
'For the selection process, three officers from JBPM, the Veterinary Department, and the National Disaster Management Agency (NADMA) will be sent to the UK. Upon arrival in Malaysia, the dogs will undergo a familiarisation process with their new handlers,' he said.
He was speaking to reporters after officiating the 2025 Governance, Integrity and Anti-Corruption forum here today, also attended by Kelantan JBPM director Farhan Sufyan Borhan.
It had been reported that the JBPM K9 Unit will receive 16 new dogs from the UK, valued at RM2.4 million, this year to replace approximately half of the 34 K9 dogs that have reached 10 to 12 years of age, equivalent to 60 years in human age.
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