KOTA KINABALU, Nov 9 — A Sabah Fire and Rescue Department search dog died a day after completing its final search-and-rescue mission, bringing nearly nine years of service with the department’s K9 unit to an end.
The 10-year-old Labrador Retriever, named Lexi, was found dead in its kennel at 6.15am last Friday, according to a report by Harian Metro.
Lexi had taken part in a search operation for a missing person in Kampung Pulutan Membawang, Menggatal, on November 5, making it the dog’s final assignment with the rescue team.
Sabah Fire and Rescue Department K9 unit chief Calvin Joe Jeafery said Lexi had been accompanied by its handler, fireman Arthur Anderson Walter, during the operation.
After returning to the station, Lexi was bathed and fed as part of its usual care routine, with Calvin saying the dog finished its food and showed no change in behaviour.
However, personnel found it unresponsive when they called its name during a routine kennel inspection the following morning, and further checks confirmed that it had died.
Calvin said Lexi had a medical history that included stage-two heart disease and a growth on its gums.
The dog had been under veterinary supervision and received treatment including antibiotics, gastric medication and anti-inflammatory drugs.
Its cause of death has yet to be established, pending a post-mortem report from the Sabah Veterinary Services Department, he said.
During its service, Lexi was trained in wilderness search-and-rescue operations, specialising in locating missing people in forests and other challenging terrain.
The dog joined the Sabah K9 unit after being acquired from the United Kingdom in 2017, and its final operation in Menggatal marked the close of a career spanning almost nine years.
