Mine sniffer dog found in pet shop

Mine sniffer dog found in pet shop

PHNOM PENH (AFP): Cambodia's national demining agency has rescued a Swedish-trained land mine sniffer dog valued at US$30,000 from a pet shop after it was stolen by one of its dog handlers, it was reported here on Tuesday.

The English-language Cambodia Daily said Nikkon -- a German shepherd trained to sniff out tiny quantities of buried explosives -- was stolen by Cambodian Mine Action Center employee Hoy Yareth, who has since been arrested.

The report did not give the pet shop's asking price for the dog, one of several introduced to the heavily mined Cambodia in 1997.