CLARK FREEPORT -- The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) has 16 retired narcotic detection dogs (NDDs) that are up for adoption.
PDEA had retired 18 NDDs, consisting of 14 Belgian Malinois, two Jack Russell Terriers, one German Shepherd, and one Labrador, but only 16 of them were allowed for adoption.
The two Belgian Malinois are not fit for adoption for their aggressive behavior and will stay in the PDEA K9 facility.
The seven K9s are allotted to PDEA personnel who had expressed their desire to adopt, and the remaining nine NDDs will be open for adoption to interested individuals.
PDEA Director General Aaron Aquino said the retired K9s served for several years during successful anti-illegal drug operations in jail facilities, search and seizure, interdiction and checkpoints in airports, seaports, and transport terminals nationwide.
“The PDEA K9 Unit facility is not an ideal place for fostering these hero dogs, hence, they were made available for adoption so that they can have a stress-free environment and loving family that could give them care and attention,” Aquino said.
The adoption of the hero dogs was posted in PDEA's Facebook page a week ago, and many showed interest and inquiry on the process of adoption.
The applicants for adoption of the NDDs will undergo screening and interview from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the PDEA K9 Unit facility in Sitio Lambakin, Barangay Sto. Cristo, City of San Jose Del Monte, Bulacan, to determine their capacity to adopt, as a stringent requirement set forth in the Standard Operating Procedure of PDEA K9 Unit.
A periodic monitoring of K9s with their adopters will be conducted to ensure their welfare, as that of the first batch of NDDs that were adopted last September 21, 2017 that are now in good hands of their adopters, Aquino said.