Ode to Killer: Award-winning anti-poaching K9 dog put down due to ill health

A legendary police dog named Killer — which was instrumental in the fight against rhino poaching in the country — has been put to sleep after a long illness, SANParks announced at the weekend.

The 11-year-old dog, based in the Kruger National Park, was put down on the advice of veterinary doctors.

The park's K9 manager, Johan de Beer and Killer’s retired handler Amos paid their respects to Killer, which they said had been a hero in the anti-poaching campaign.

“The bad news is that we had to take Killer to the vet to be examined. Because of bad health, we had to put Killer to sleep. Being in the constant pain that he was in, it was just not fair to Killer,” said De Beer.

The dog was awarded the People's Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA) Gold Medal in 2016 for his role in the fight against anti-poaching in SA.

De Beer said Killer had been one of the first dogs used in the Kruger National Park. Since 2011, he had arrested close to 200 poachers.

“Killer served the Kruger National Park up to last year and we decided not to deploy him that much any more and let him rest a bit,” he said.

Amos, who was his handler, was present to say goodbye, having spent many years and developed a bond with Killer.

“Killer left a big gap in our lives. We will always remember killer as a hero he was for the rhinos, the fight against rhino poachers,” he said.

Killer was expected to be cremated soon, after which a memorial service would be held and his remains placed in a safe place.

“Rest in peace, Killer, you will be sorely missed,” added De Beer.