2 'aspins' to help Coast Guard secure ports

MANILA, Philippines –  Two aspins (asong pinoy) or mongrels trained in explosives detection will help the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) secure ports and passenger ships during the Christmas holidays.

PCG K9 Unit head Lt. Commander Allen Dalangin said they have fielded two-year-old Cola and one-year-old Fiona as well as one-year-old Jack Russell-bred Joyce at the North and South harbors and at the Port of Batangas.

Dalangin said the three canines were among the 20 selected and screened dogs donated to the PCG last July. 

“These three dogs were the first to finish their training and for now they would be deployed at the North Harbor, South Harbor and Batangas so we could still monitor them,” he added.

The Coast Guard’s K9 Unit currently has 104 dogs, 20 of which have been trained for narcotics detection and the remaining 84 in bomb sniffing.

PCG commandant Admiral Wilfredo Tamayo said training the aspins is a success because they had proven that they “can do what the imported bred dogs can do.”

“Apart from that, there is also a feeling of pride because taking care of them is less costly and they are already used to the environment,” he said.

Dalangin said that compared to other dogs, aspins require less vitamins. All the PCG dogs are given anti-rabies shots. Even the dog handlers are given anti-rabies shots since during training they often get bitten or scratched by the dogs.

The budget for food for a hybrid dog is P3,000 to P5,000 and since the aspins are smaller, they consume less food, vitamins and even medicine. They are also more accustomed to local climate.

But Cola’s handler Petty Officer 3 Lloyd Omictin said that compared to imported dogs, aspins are more difficult to train because they are less playful.

He added that their canines are only given dog food so they won’t steal or rummage for food when deployed on ships.

During yesterday’s demonstration, it took the aspins more time to detect planted explosives.

But Dalangin clarified this does not mean they are inferior to dogs of other breeds.

Meanwhile, Tamayo said that the PCG has been on alert since last week.