Best friends: Donna and handler PC Wong Tai-shing with the award

The Police Dog Unit's Donna was presented a Man's Best Friend Award by the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA) for sniffing out a murderer.

The five-year-old Labrador was among eight canines and a feline to receive the award plus an Award of Courage from the SPCA during its first such presentation for animals on May 12.

Donna and her handler Police Constable Wong Tai-shing were called after a garbage collector found the body of a beheaded woman in a bamboo basket at the junction of Shim Luen Street and Mok Cheong Street in To Kwa Wan on June 4 last year.

After a sniff of the victim's blood-soaked clothes, Donna searched nearby streets with PC Wong.

"While we walked past an old building in Tam Kung Road she stared hard at the entrance of the stairway before dashing in," PC Wong said. "We went straight to the rooftop on the eighth floor and Donna stopped in front of a wooden hut." Officers searched the hut and found a blood-stained knife and arrested a 68-year-old man. It was later revealed he killed the 59-year-old woman over a financial dispute and was convicted at the High Court on January 21, and sentenced to eight years prison.

PC Wong was proud of Donna, his partner of four years.

"She's very nice and gentle and likes to play, but when it comes to work she never disappoints." PDU will be recruiting Sergeants and PCs in September and October as handlers. All officers who have completed Police Tactical Unit training are eligible. Call Station Sergeant Ng Kwok-kit at 2659-0456 for information.