Meet the 2.5 year old Malinois Yuki. A police dog to die for. After Yuki saved his first life just twelve days after completing his training, he easily repeated that feat six months later, the federal police said. What a hit!
Yuki is only at the beginning of his career, but the young Malinois already has several rescues to his name, according to the police. “He has been operational since August 8, 2023, after the 1,000 hours of training required to become a sniffer dog.”
Another rescue
Twelve days after completing his training, he had already carried out a rescue operation: he saved a 75-year-old woman who had been missing for more than 24 hours in Braine-l’Alleud, where she had hidden under a bush. “And this month he did it again!” beams his trainer Anne-Marie Glazemakers, inspector at the Dog Support Directorate (DACH).
On February 8, Anne-Marie was called to the High Fens together with Yuki. The Fagnes police zone was confronted with the disappearance of a 70-year-old woman suffering from Alzheimer’s disease. It is a very disturbing disappearance, because on the spot the dog inspector determines that the missing woman is only wearing pajamas and sandals and has left her walker in the house. “You should know that people in a dementia crisis regain the strength of their youth. So they can travel great distances,” the police say.
While waiting for drone assistance, Anne-Marie and her colleagues from the Fagnes police zone begin their search for the woman. They see how several paths near the lady’s house lead to a wooded area and water features.
As we get closer, we see the woman lying on her side in the water and mud, rolled into a ball and covered with her vest. She is numb, but conscious.
At a certain point, the inspector decides to let her companion Yuki search ‘freely’ (so-called ‘recover’), without being able to detect a scent beforehand. “The wind is favorable and he walks down one of the paths at full speed,” the policewoman remembers the moment.
“It is very muddy and slippery. He stops about a hundred meters further.” Yes, Yuki has found the woman: “As we get closer, we see the woman lying on her side in the water and mud, rolled into a ball and covered with her vest. She is numb, but conscious,” the inspector describes.
The 70-year-old woman is taken care of by the emergency services and appears to be unharmed, much to the relief of the family. “I was able to talk to her granddaughter and son-in-law,” said Anne-Marie Glazemakers. “They were very happy. It also gives us great satisfaction and joy that we were able to find her alive.” And of course she is very proud of Yuki. He turns out to be a natural talent.
Last year 140 people were found
The federal police also states that DACH’s sniffer dogs carried out a total of 1,332 interventions last year. 140 people were found, 71 of whom were found in the context of legal proceedings and 69 people who were missing. The dogs and their handlers even found 23 people who were in mortal danger, it said. They are very proud of it.
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