Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
The Japan News/Yomiuri
The Japan News/Yomiuri
National
The Yomiuri Shimbun

Police canine goes from doghouse to hero

Kreva is seen at Fukiai Police Station in Chuo Ward, Kobe, on Friday. (Credit: The Yomiuri Shimbun)

KOBE -- A male police dog that once abandoned its responsibility, has finally had its day.

The hero is a 2-year-old German Shepherd named Kreva, who located a missing elderly woman on Feb. 7 -- just his fourth day back on the job after additional retraining -- in a performance that earned him a commendation from the police.

According to the Hyogo Prefectural Police, the canine in October 2020 tore away from his leash under the watch of an identification unit officer during a search for a missing person.

Two days passed before authorities were able to track him down in the mountains.

His handlers contemplated removing him from service, but decided to retrain the animal after a nationwide wave of phone calls and email messages of support.

Kreva returned to the field after about 3 months away, and he was subsequently part of the Feb. 7 search for a woman in her 80s. After being given her scent, he tracked her down on a street in Chuo Ward, Kobe, in just 45 minutes. The woman was unharmed.

At an award ceremony at the Fukiai Police Station in Chuo Ward, he received a rubber chew toy shaped like a bone as a present.

Said an official at the headquarters of the prefectural police: "I want to continue working hard in drills with him and contribute to investigations."

Read more from The Japan News at https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.