Roger the rescue dog was indispensable in the aftermath of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien, and became an overnight sensation after trying to grab reporters’ microphones during an interview. Now the Labrador is quickly approaching retirement at the mature age of nine. Next up for the canine hero is helping to train his successors before he finally hangs up his leash.
The dog demonstrating a search-and-rescue mission is none other than Roger, who’s taking a step back as he prepares for retirement.
Roger was integral to finding victims of the April 3 earthquake in Hualien. But even with all his experience, he’s still a little naughty.
His adorable stunt of lunging for reporters’ microphones made him an instant sensation, even earning him a spot on CNN. But he’s getting on in years, and will no longer serve in the field. Instead, he’s helping to coach his successors.
Lee Hsin-hung
Roger’s handler
Roger’s already 8 years old, which is pretty advanced for a dog. Although he’s healthy, we don’t want to overdo it. So we’re giving him another job. He’s helping train the younger dogs.
Roger still looks and acts fine, even though he’s a senior. There are a lot of fine dogs with the Kaohsiung search-and-rescue team, like this four-year-old Labrador named Wansi萬斯. Strong and already skilled, Wansi is set to take over for Roger.
Lee Hsin-hung
Roger’s handler
It will be hard to part with him, but it’s for the best. We have to let him retire. We have an adoption process. A lot of people have already called asking about it.
Roger is to retire for good soon. When the time comes, his team will find the best home for him to happily live out the rest of his days.
For more Taiwan news, tune in:
Sun to Fri at 9:30 pm on Channel 152
Tue to Sat at 1 am on Channel 53
#台灣新聞 #TaiwanNews #民視新聞 #FTV新聞 #Taiwan
