Cape Town - A Bidvest Protea Coin company’s working dog Shiba is still missing after it got separated from its owner last Tuesday after they were hijacked in Philippi East.
A R5000 reward has been offered to anyone with information leading to Shiba’s safe return.
The female German Shepherd could be anywhere in Philippi East or surrounding areas of Crossroads, Delft, Nyanga, Browns Farm and Lentegeur following a hijacking incident on July 25 at the New Eisleben Road.
According to the company’s dog handler Gerrit Levin, his colleague who can’t be named for safety reasons and Shiba were originally from Joburg.
The security guard and Shiba were driving in a Toyota Avanza to the airport from their accommodation in Muizenberg. Using a GPS, they found their way to Philippi, where they were hijacked at gunpoint.
Terrified for his life, while standing outside the vehicle, the security guard is said to have dropped his cellphone before running away, leaving his belongings behind and the canine inside the vehicle.
“Shiba has been with the company for five years now and she does explosive detection at the airport. She protects the people and cargo that go into aeroplanes. The first sighting of her was in Philippi East where the first tracker of the vehicle was found and the dog canal offloaded.
“Following that, the dog was spotted with two African men crossing over to Cross Roads. Another possible sighting of her was near the N2 across DSV, but there has not been any credible information leading to the dog being found.” Levin said the Avanza had since been recovered in Marikana in Lower Crossroads.
Both Philippi and Nyanga police and law enforcement are aware of the missing dog and are following any leads that might help with its discovery.