- Eastern Cape police were mourning the loss of their respected canine colleague Black, which died.
- Black was known for its stock theft busting skills, and also helped find a woman caught up in the Storms River.
- Diagnosed with a heart condition, it was boarded and died in the comfort of the handler’s home.
It may have looked cute and friendly, but if you were hiding contraband or on the run from the police, the late police dog Black was not your friend.
For Black, the cross Bloodhound and Bluetick, a dog’s life was not all about lying in the sun snapping at flies.
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Since its training in 2011, it had used its formidable skills to become a tracker dog of note.
Stock theft and identifying crime scenes was right up its alley until a heart condition led to its demise.
After graduating from the SA Police Service’s K9 Unit, Black proved itself a worthy asset to the police, with the combination of its tracking skills and agility.
Top dog
Soon it built up a reputation as a top dog with equally nimble handler Warrant Officer Maurice Konzani at the Humansdorp K9 Unit.
Warrant Officer Maurice Konzani took Black home after the dog was boarded to keep him comfortable. (SAPS, Facebook)
From stock theft and tracking down carcasses, to identifying crime scenes and helping to find a woman who was lost in the Storms River, Black was busy.
Eastern Cape police spokesperson Captain Mali Govender said in 2013 the dog helped track five stock thieves in the expansive Fort Beaufort area, prompting the farmer to write to the police to say his faith in the police had been restored after suffering immense stock losses in the past.
Konzani and Black were a formidable team, and in 2014 were commended as top achievers in the crime prevention category and were first runner’s up at the police’s national awards ceremony.
Black was recently boarded after being diagnosed with a heart condition.
It spent its last days in the comfort of Konzani’s home, being cared for by its handler. It died at the end of October.
Konzani saluted his “gallant warrior” and “courageous crime fighter”.
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