Bay of Plenty district commander superintendent Tim Anderson spoke to media from Mt Maunganui.
Video / NZ Herald
Local organisations are commending one of the canine heroes supporting the Mount Maunganui slip search effort.
In a Facebook post, Rescue, Revive, Rehome Bay of Plenty shared their praise for Kora, a Land Search and Rescue Dog, who aided the search effort with her special skills.
“There are so manyheroes working on Mauao right now, giving their time, strength, and hearts to help bring missing people home.
“While every single person involved deserves recognition, we wanted to take a moment to shine a light on one very special four-legged hero.”
The post says Kora and her handler, Nick Petry, have been working tirelessly to locate the six people who went missing on Thursday morning.
The Tauranga Land Search and Rescue Dog, the only operational animal of her kind in the region, was described as “not only beautiful, but incredibly skilled”.
LandSAR Search and Rescue Dogs like Kora are trained to follow scents and indicate their discoveries to handlers. Photo / Facebook
“She has a calm, gentle nature and is friendly with everyone she meets.”
LandSAR certified search dogs are trained in advanced tracking and scent work, signalling their discoveries to handlers through a trained response.
They are on-call 24/7 to attend to the lost, missing and injured.
“We are so grateful for Kora, Nick, and every volunteer working in these difficult conditions. Your dedication and compassion mean more than words can say”, the organisation wrote.
Commenters applauded the dog and her handler, thanking the pair for their valiant work as the search effort for the unaccounted for enters its third day.
“Bless Kora. Dogs are beyond superhuman and have skills we can only imagine”, one user wrote.
The 7-year-old German Shepherd has her own Facebook page on which supporters can follow her work on and off-duty.
Kora and her handler Nick Petry have been involved in the search effort for the six people unaccounted for in the Mount Maunganui slip. Photo / Rescue, Revive Rehome Bay of Plenty.
Once a police dog trainee, Kora has now attended more than 100 callouts with Petry, recently winning a $10,000 ASB Good as Gold award for their work.
Petry plans to spend the money on toys, treats and a new collar for his companion.
