The Southern African Wildlife College's K9 Unit, established in 2015, is helping meet the increasing demand for well-trained dogs and handlers to help combat wildlife crime. They've just won a prestigious Kudu Award in recognition of their innovative and effective contribution to counter poaching in the Greater Kruger National Park, where rhino, elephants and other wildlife are under threat.

Within one week of landing in South Africa, the SAWC's K9 Unit's newest arrivals, free-running pack dogs from Texas, had apprehended their first suspect in the field. And they've just continued to build on this early success, having been involved in more than 70 deployments in the Greater Kruger National Park since then.

"They are a force multiplier, which allows field rangers to be more effective when trying to combat wildlife crime.As their successes increase, so do the risks they face. This is why the College needs ongoing support, most immediately for security upgrades for these valuable, hard working dogs,” notes CEO, Theresa Sowry. 

Any donation, big or small, will help ensure that the SAWC and its K9 Unit can continue to grow, operate and innovate, while keeping the hard-working hounds secure. 

You can read more about the SAWC's K9 Unit and its history here.