KUALA LUMPUR – Blake, an English Springer Spaniel that was hailed as one of the heroes in the Batang Kali landslide tragedy last year, has been euthanised.
The celebrated member of the Fire and Rescue Department’s K9 Tracker Dog Unit lost its battle to lymphoma cancer. In a statement yesterday, the Local Government Development Ministry said the canine was put to sleep at 4.38pm on Monday.
“Blake’s loss will definitely be felt by the Fire and Rescue Department family, and his devoted six-year service to the unit will always be valued and remembered. Farewell, Blake,” the statement said.
According to the statement, Blake was diagnosed with stage four lymphoma cancer on August 15 and was admitted to the pet dog ward at the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Universiti Putra Malaysia on September 14 when he was found to be lethargic and had lost his appetite.
It said the decision to put Blake to sleep was made after a discussion between veterinary specialist Dr Nur Alimah Rahman and the Fire and Rescue Department when it was found that his condition was deteriorating fast and that there was no hope of recovery – moreover, the poor being was also in pain.
“While warded, Blake failed to respond to the medicine and treatment given by the veterinarian, and the lymphoma cancer detected in Blake also became aggressive and had spread throughout the body,” the statement said.
The Local Government Development Ministry said Blake came from the United Kingdom and was acquired by the Fire and Rescue Department in 2017.
The statement also added that “Blake has contributed a lot to the success of the search operations carried out by the Fire and Rescue Department throughout the country, including locating drowning victims at Batu 13, Lorong 16, Kg Kenangan, Selangor; the search and rescue operation at the water surge tradedy at Titi Hayun, near Yan, Kedah; and the operation to locate flood victims in Kg Telemong, Karak in Pahang.” – September 20, 2023