The dog named Lao Wu received the medal from Pahang police chief Abd Jalil Hassan, who was represented by his deputy, Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri, at the Pahang police contingent headquarters monthly assembly, yesterday.

At the ceremony, Yusri presented the medal to Lao Wu’s trainer, Sergeant S Sanmugam, who put it around the dog’s neck.

Sanmugam said the five-years and eight-months-old Lao Wu received the award for tracking down a vehicle theft suspect who had fled more than four kilometres at an oil palm plantation in Felda Sungai Tekam, Jerantut, near here, on Nov 14, last year.

Police had earlier shot the suspect in the leg during an operation in the area.

“We began the search for the suspect at 1.45am and just 50 metres from where we started, Lao Wu found a blood-stained T-shirt left behind by the suspect.

“Lao Wu was so eager to look for the suspect that I was left behind as I tripped and fell twice due to the dark surroundings and uneven ground before we reached a house in the plantation,” he said.

“The owner of the house said an injured man had come for help but fled when he wanted to contact the police,” he told Bernama when met at the Pahang police contingent headquarters K9 unit, here, today.

Sanmugam said Lao Wu then led them back to the oil palm plantation until they spotted a river around 4am. Lao Wu started to cross the river, leading the police officers to believe that the suspect had been there.

Their assumption was spot on as at 6am, they found bloodstains near the river.

“Lao Wu continued to guide us to a house in the area and we eventually found the suspect in the backyard around 10.45am. He was in a weak condition and begged me not to let go of the dog.”

He said he had handled Lao Wu, which was acquired from China, since 2015 and it was his fourth detective dog in 29 years of service with the K9 unit.