Kruger National Park
A K9 unit has been active since 2012, with Bloodhounds and Belgian Malinois tracking poachers and detecting weapons and ammunition.
10 · Belgian heritage
The cradle of the working dog
Two iconic working dog breeds were born in Belgium: the Belgian Shepherd, including the Malinois, and the Bloodhound (Chien de Saint-Hubert).
A Belgian story
The facts below come from the official breed standards of the Fédération Cynologique Internationale.
- 1891
The Belgian Shepherd Dog Club
On 29 September 1891, the Club du Chien de Berger Belge was founded in Brussels. On 15 November that year, Professor A. Reul gathered 117 dogs in Cureghem.
- Cureghem
Professor A. Reul
A professor at the Cureghem School of Veterinary Medicine, A. Reul is regarded as the true pioneer and founder of the Belgian Shepherd breed.
- Utility
The Belgian Malinois
Originally a sheepdog, the Belgian Shepherd is today a utility dog: guarding, defence, tracking, and a versatile service dog.
- Ardennes
The Bloodhound
Bred in the Ardennes by the monks of the Abbey of Saint-Hubert, it is recognised as a tracking service dog, used to search for missing persons in police operations.
Today, in the field
The Malinois and the Bloodhound are deployed today by anti-poaching units in Africa. A few publicly documented examples:
Virunga National Park
A canine unit has been active since 2011: Bloodhounds track poachers, alongside Springers that detect ivory, bushmeat and weapons.
Kenya Wildlife Service
Malinois trained to detect ivory, rhino horn and pangolin scales, notably at Nairobi airport (press release of February 2026).
Examples cited for context only: these organisations have no connection with SANVIA K9.
Sources: FCI, standard no. 15 (Belgian Shepherd Dog) and standard no. 84 (Bloodhound); Africa Geographic and Virunga National Park; TimesLIVE (2023); African Wildlife Foundation (2026).
