Austrian Foreign Minister Visits National Dog Academy

Mr. Alexander Schellenberg, Austrian Foreign Affairs Minister, Friday paid a visit to the National Dog Academy in Okponglo, Accra.His visit to the facility was to check on the welfare of two military Belgian Shepherd Dogs, donated earlier this year to the Academy by the Austrian Armed Forces.Mr. Schellenberg also called on Brigadier General Jackson Wonje, the Provost Marshal of the Ghana Military Academy.The Dog Academy is being run by the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF)Mr Schellenberg, who was briefed on the training unit's history and operations, toured the facility and witnessed the two Belgian Shepherds perform obedience exercises.Lieutenant Colonel Okaidja Quaye, General Secretary to the Office of the Provost Marshall, who briefed Mr. Schellenberg and his delegation on the Academy's activities, stated that the unit had gotten support from Austria in the areas of training dog handlers for the GAF's special forces and infrastructure, among other things.'Your country Austria has also been very support ive to the academy. We have a memorandum of understanding with your government which is running currently. There are two dog handlers from our special forces brigade currently receiving further training in Austria,' he said.Lt. Col. Quaye apprised the minister on how military guard dogs, including those provided by Austria, were used in a variety of activities, including explosive detection, high assurance searches such as VVIP vehicle inspection, and drug and currency detection.Commissioned in June 1964, the National Dog Academy presently has 30 adult military service dogs and seven puppies in training. The academy's facilities include a veterinary block, dormitories, training kennels, classrooms and puppy runs.Source: Ghana News Agency