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Legendary KZN police dog Dante has died
After 10 years of wading through water, sniffing crevices and braving helicopter rides to out-of-reach areas, Dante, a specialist cadaver dog has died a year after retiring from the force.Dante, who had arthritis in his hips, was medically boarded by a police vet in January last year. Serving in the Umhlali SAPS search and rescue for nine years, the 11-year-old German Shepherd and his human partner, Warrant Officer Clinton Odayar travelled across KwaZulu-Natal to render assistance. Involved in over 900 missions, Dante, who had won national awards for his work, brought closure to more than 300 families of missing victims including those lost in the KwaZulu-Natal floods.He was a family dog before he was donated to the police. His first case was in November 2015.Reflecting on his retirement last year Odayar said one of Dante’s remarkable finds was during a search in KwaDukuza where the body of a woman who had been missing for two days was discovered buried beneath the concrete structure of a house.During another search for a missing nurse in Nongoma, they found she had been raped and killed, and her body abandoned in a cave, but they were stung by a swarm of bees.“I was stung by more than 100 bees, and Dante was equally badly affected. We had to be airlifted to a Durban hospital for emergency treatment,” said Odayar.The police dog was retired into the care of an emergency responder, Nazir Sadack, and his family in Tongaat last year. In a Facebook post on Saturday, Odayar referred to Dante as a “K9 to count on”.“Bidding farewell to a companion that has left a mark etched in my heart that will forever remind me of the love and bond we shared. No words could ever describe the bond a K9 handler and K9 would share.“Dante will surely be missed and never forgotten,” he said.Tributes poured in for the K9.“Rest well Dante! Clinton Odayar, sorry for your loss. Meeting Dante was an honour and I will never forget the job he pulled for my family back in 2016. May you find comfort in knowing that you had a great partner,” said Zanele Nxumalo.Sashen Gounder said Dante was a true hero in the eyes of many.“Your name will be spoken from the mouths of many. Your service to the communities at large will be missed,” he said.Andreas Mathios said Dante was more than just a police rescue dog.“Clinton, today we honour and celebrate the incredible life of your beloved partner, Dante — a K9 who wasn’t just your teammate but your unwavering companion and trusted friend. The bond you shared was something truly extraordinary, something words can never fully capture.“Dante was more than just a police rescue dog; he was a hero in every sense of the word. His loyalty, courage and intelligence stood as a testament to his exceptional character, and his dedication to you and his work was unmatched. Together, you were an unstoppable team, facing challenges with strength and determination.”Dante specialised in finding missing or deceased people and have responded to more than 900 search and rescue calls since Dante’s first case in 2015. More recently, Dante was deployed to Ladysmith following floods on Christmas eve, where they successfully located several missing flood victims.Dante retires with a number of awards, including national commendations from the minister and commissioner of police, as well as podium positions in national K9 competitions.
