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If we can save one person’s life, then the canine unit will have been worth the investment.A specially-trained attack dog helped security forces capture an Arab suspect who infiltrated the Jewish Shomron community of Tapuach last Friday. The dog was part of a privately funded and trained canine unit dedicated to protecting Jews in Judea and Samaria.
At around noon on Friday, the Tapuach security chief spotted an Arab suspiciously close to the town. The man fled after being spotted. Security forces subsequently searched the area but failed to find the infiltrator, and requested that the local canine response team be brought in.
The team arrived with Loco, a well-trained security dog. Loco quickly sniffed out and located the suspect, who was hiding in the brush. The Arab then gave himself up, begging and pleading with the security forces to call the dog off. He was arrested and taken for further interrogation.
Yekutial Ben-Yaakov, director of the canine unit, explained its importance to Israel National News: “Dogs can quickly detect terrorists when even the most sophisticated military equipment, such as night vision goggles or binoculars, cannot,” he said. “More widespread use of dogs in Judea and Samaria could dramatically help save lives.”
The canine unit breeds and trains attack, patrol, and guard dogs, often at the cost of almost $10,000 a dog, funded by private donations. According to Ben-Yaakov, the unit has placed more than 100 guard dogs and 36 patrol dogs in various locations throughout Judea and Samaria.
The canine unit originally focused on Tapuach, located near Shechem in Samaria, but has now expanded to Kiryat Arba, Gush Etzion, Itamar, and Beit El. Its newest program will bring guard dogs to Adam, a Jerusalem suburb.
Ben-Yaakov summed up his program’s goals: “The Arab we caught on Friday will think again before trying to penetrate a Jewish town. If we can save one person’s life, then the canine unit will have been worth the investment.” He can be reached at Jewishlegion@aol.com. More information on the canine unit is available at http://www.defendisrael.net/index.shtml.