Malaysia has achieved a historic milestone after the Fire and Rescue Department’s K9 Training Centre in Bertam, Penang successfully bred a search-and-rescue dog for the first time in the country.
Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming said the male Labrador puppy, named “Brave”, was born on April 5 to its mother, Lottie, under the supervision of Fire Officer Nelson Karupak.
“Lottie, a Labrador under the care of Officer Nelson Karupak, has safely delivered a puppy. I have named the puppy ‘Brave’ with the hope it will grow into a courageous and strong hero in rescue operations,” he said during the Firefighters’ Day Carnival 2026.
The development marks the first successful local breeding of K9 search-and-rescue dogs in Malaysia, reducing reliance on imported dogs previously sourced from Birmingham, United Kingdom.
Nga said each imported K9 dog previously cost around RM150,000, including training and transportation.
“Previously, K9 units had to obtain dogs from breeding centres in Birmingham, where they were trained before being brought back to Malaysia,” he said.
He added that the government aims to develop local breeding and training capabilities for K9 units to reduce costs and strengthen national capacity.
“I hope one day we will be able to export our trained K9 dogs back to the United Kingdom and also to ASEAN countries such as Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines and Indonesia,” he said.
Nga also revealed that the government had approved RM2.4 million for the procurement of 16 new K9 dogs from the United Kingdom to strengthen the Fire and Rescue Department’s capabilities.
Currently, the Fire and Rescue Department of Malaysia operates 34 K9 dogs, but still requires an additional 56 to reach optimal operational strength.
