"A Tradition of Excellence": Cape Town’s Working Dogs Show Off Skills at City’s First K9 Competition

• Cape Town's Public Safety Training College organised the city's first-ever K9 competition on 17 October 2026
• A total of 15 handler-and-dog teams from the Metro Police, Stellenbosch K9 unit and SANParks took part in the event
• One dog from Table Mountain National Park stole the show with an outstanding performance across multiple categories

Cape Town's working dogs had their moment in the spotlight when the city held its very first K9 competition on 17 October 2026. The event, hosted by the City's Public Safety Training College, brought together some of the Mother City's most dedicated four-legged public servants and their handlers for a day of friendly but fierce competition.

Fifteen handler-and-dog teams from the Metro Police K9 unit, the Stellenbosch K9 unit and SANParks took part in a series of challenges designed to test agility, detection ability and protection work. These disciplines demand months of intensive training and a deep bond of trust between each dog and its handler.

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Cape Town's K9 units put skills on display

Beyond the competition itself, the event was designed to bring public safety agencies closer together. Organisers used the occasion to encourage knowledge-sharing, strengthen inter-agency relationships and promote best practices in K9 training and deployment across the region.

Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, Alderman JP Smith, said the competition was about far more than crowning a winner. He said:

"This competition offers an opportunity to establish a tradition of excellence, strengthen partnerships between agencies and recognise the valuable contribution of K9 teams to community safety."

He added:

"And it's about so much more than just identifying the best-performing dog or handler, but about celebrating teamwork, discipline, dedication, and the important role K9 units play in keeping our communities safe. I am incredibly proud of our Public Safety Training College for all the hard work that has gone into organising this event, and I look forward to seeing it become a fixture on the annual calendar."

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K9 Dash takes top honours

Among the standout performers of the day was K9 Dash from Table Mountain National Park. The dog and his handler delivered an impressive showing, earning first and third place in Open Area Detection as well as second place in Scent Discrimination.

View the Facebook video below:

The event, first reported by Good Things Guy, was celebrated as a landmark moment for public safety in Cape Town, with hopes that it will return as an annual tradition.

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Source: Briefly News