Help K9 Hans protect Rhinos in Africa

Jeremy Wikner, the owner of Ascension Canine Training, is donating a fully trained tracking and apprehension dog to Kilo9 Academy; an anti-poaching not-for-profit in South Africa.

Almost 2-year-old Belgian Malinois Hans has been raised in Canberra by Jeremy since he was just eight weeks old in the hope to sell him to Domestic Police or Australian Army. Hans is skilled in apprehension, tracking, and obedience, and is very confident when exposed to various stimuli, such as gunfire. If sold to a government agency, Hans would be worth approximately AUD 25,000 due to the level of training he has received, but Jeremy is donating Hans for no cost to Kilo9 Academy.

For Jeremy, it’s a lot of training to keep up with on top of a full-time job and his Ascension Canine Training business. As a new Dad he wants to spend more time with his wife and nine-month-old Daughter Wren and recently made the difficult financial decision to donate Hans instead of waiting to see when/if the market will open again. The cost-of-living crisis is difficult to cope with and this decision is not one taken lightly. Hans represents a significant opportunity cost in terms of time invested in him, but also at least AUD 10,000 in actual money invested; purchase of a puppy, vaccinations, food, kenneling, and vet care.

Kilo9 Academy, a South African-based Not-For-Profit organization that trains dogs and handlers to protect African megafauna, has welcomed the offer to receive Hans with enthusiasm! The work Hans will go on to do will see him tracking poachers who have entered reserves to harm endangered wildlife. This serves as a deterrent to entering reserves in the first place. His work will also assist in seeing justice carried out by apprehending poachers who may have harmed or killed endangered megafauna, like Rhinos, so that they can then be tried in court.

As a Not-For-Profit, the Kilo9 Academy is thrilled to receive the donation of Hans, however, funds are still needed to cover costs for the freight of Hans to South Africa. Freight is approximately AUD 6,000 plus AUD 500 for export costs including Rabies and other vaccinations. Jeremy is seeking donations to help cover these expenses.

About Jeremy

Jeremy is a highly experienced tracking dog trainer who has completed the GAK9 Tracking Dog Trainer Course in the US under instruction by Jeff Schettler and sold multiple trained dogs to domestic police, military, and conservation organizations. He is the sole Licensee of GAK9 in the Australasia region. GAK9 is an international business consisting of over 43 trainers, that train law enforcement, military, and sports enthusiasts in the art of tracking. Jeremy is the only trainer in Australia and who runs GAK9 tracking workshops in Australia, New Caledonia and New Zealand with further expansion planned.

About Kilo9 Academy

At Kilo9 Academy they train dogs, handlers, and trainers, using humane and reward-based methods to aid in conservation efforts. They are involved in multiple aspects of conservation, from anti-poaching to research, rehabilitation, and education.