Development of the capacity of dog handling services of border guarding institutions in Moldova and Georgia
Duration
March 2017 - October 2017Budget
EUR 100.653,37 (95% from ISF-Borders and Visa)
Implemented by
The State Border Guard College of Latvia implemented this Action in coordination with the Border Police Department of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Moldova, the Patrol Police Department and the Border Police of the Ministry of Interior of Georgia.
Action implemented in the framework of the MPs between the European Union, Moldova and Georgia
This Action contributed to the capacity development of dog handling services of border guard institutions in Moldo-va and Georgia and approximated their national dog handling standards with those of the EU Member States. The positive results of the Action included the following: 1) Increased knowl-edge and exchange of best practices through workshops and trainings in Moldova, Georgia and Latvia; 2) the purchase of ad-ditional service dogs and training inventory with the aim of rein-forcing the dog handling services in both partner countries and 3) the improvement of the service dog gene pool.
Partners
Activities
Workshops and trainings
Two workshops related to the methodology for selection, training and use of service dogs were organised in Moldova and Georgia for dog handlers. Additionally, the Dog Handling Centre of the State Border Guard College of Latvia hosted a training for dog handling instructors from the partner coun-tries’ border guard institutions. In total, 28 Georgian and 22 Moldovan dog handlers and 6 dog handling instructors were trained through the project. Dog handling equipment was purchased for training use and handed over to the Moldovan and Georgian border guard institutions.
Purchase and training of service dogs
Seven service dogs were purchased, trained and delivered to the final beneficiaries. Five dogs received specialised train-ing in search of human scent, while two others were trained specifically for the search of human scent and the identifica-tion of narcotic substances. Acquisition of the new service dogs substantially contributed to an improvement of the gene pool in both countries.
Unified training methodology and sustainable cooperation
The knowledge and practical skills acquired during the Action were reflected in the training programmes of the two beneficiary countries. A unified approach enhanced the opportunities for joint activities that already started to take place within the frame-works of bilateral cooperation. Overall, the Action contributed to the strengthening of institutional cooperation among the partner countries’ border guard services.
