Sweden Donates Bomb Dogs To Cambodia

Sweden has donated 10 mine-sniffing dogs to help rid Cambodia of its leftover wartime scourge, an official said Friday. The dogs spent eight months training in Bosnia-Herzegovina, another of the world's most heavily mined countries, and were to train an additional four months in Cambodia before starting work, said Heng Ratana, deputy director-general of Cambodian Mine Action Center.

Each dog is valued at about US$40,000 ( Ђ 33,000), including the cost of training, he said. Cambodia currently has 56 mine-sniffing dogs, but six will be retired in March, he said.

Mine-sniffing dogs generally have a working life of up to 12 years, but Cambodia's hot climate limits their working time to about six years, he said.

These dogs will save many lives as a result of their work.