A playful Denti stands on its hind legs before a grooming session by his handler, Tony Albert Mani.

PETALING JAYA:

After a gruelling search for victims in the tragic Batang Kali landslide, Denti and Frankie were more than happy with the reward for their nine days of hard work – tennis balls to play with.

The two cadaver dogs were among six from the fire and rescue department’s K9 unit who helped locate the 31 victims who lost their lives in the tragedy, half of whom were children, with their sense of smell.

The recovery of the victims’ bodies helped bring some closure for their loved ones, allowing them to give them a proper send-off.

Frankie’s handler, Thivagaran Yutaman, said all six dogs were rewarded as soon as they returned to base after the search and rescue operation was over.

The dogs were patient enough to wait, as they could not be given their reward at the site of the rescue operation, he said.

Thivagaran, 45, said Frankie was more than just a “colleague” but was now like family. The father of two told FMT the dogs were essentially treated like children, showered, groomed and taken for regular health and dental checks.

Cadaver dogs are trained from young to trace bodies on land and in the water.

While he had wanted to serve in his hometown in Kedah previously, he decided against it because he did not want to part ways with Frankie.

“I had intended to move back (to Kedah) but I couldn’t bear to leave my dog,” he said. “I plan on finishing (my service as a fireman) in the K9 unit.”

Thivagaran, who has served in the unit for 18 years, said he used to be in charge of another labrador named Joe, who has since died from old age.

“I took care of him until he retired and could no longer walk,” he said. “When he could not walk, I carried and showered him. I even had to feed him by hand.”

Denti’s handler, Tony Albert Mani, 29, shared the same feelings for his “colleague” whom he has been in charge of for the past four years.

“Denti is hyperactive. He’s always on the move and has an excellent work ethic,” Tony said of the four-year-old labrador.

Dogs from the K9 unit played a key role in the search for victims in the Batang Kali landslide.

Recalling the search and rescue operation following the landslide, he said Denti was spirited the whole time and managed to trace victims buried under the rubble.

“I felt satisfied because we found all the victims, but was also sad for their families. Externally, I may seem strong, but inside I was grieving

“We saw milk bottles, baby diapers, slippers … All I could think of was my own children back home. It was really saddening,” said Tony, who hails from Sarawak.

The landslide, which struck at the Father’s Organic Farm campsite at Batang Kali on Dec 16, claimed 31 lives while 61 people were rescued.

The search and rescue operation lasted nine days

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For K9 handlers, rescue dogs are not just ‘colleagues’ but family

After the gruelling search for victims in the Batang Kali landslide, cadaver dogs Denti and Frankie were more than happy to be rewarded with tennis balls to play with.