The City of Cape Town's Metro Police Department gave its hard-working K9 Unit an early morning breather, when handlers and dogs went on a walk in the Kirstenbosch Botanical Gardens.

​​The initiative aims to give the K9s a change of pace from their daily duties that have seen them play an instrumental role in effecting 200 drug-related arrests between July 2021 and October 2022.

During this time, they also racked up 535 autonomous and integrated operations, as well as school searches and education and awareness displays.

​​'We are very grateful to the management of Kirstenbosch Gardens for facilitating this special opportunity for our K9s and their handlers. This is the second such outing for the team, and we hope to make it a regular excursion, particularly for the canines. They serve this city so diligently, and it is important that we invest in their overall health and wellbeing too, beyond just the day-to-day care,' said the City's Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith.

​​Caption 1: K9 Xena cools off mid-walk.

Caption 2: Alderman JP Smith in conversation with Constable Courtney Fredericks, handler to K9 Kink.

Caption 3: Constable Adrian Isaacs and K9 Putin pose for a photograph.