Labrador retriever fetches 120,000 baht in auction by army

A female Labrador retriever considered too fat to be a military dog fetched 120,000 baht in an auction held in Korat on Saturday.

On Saturday, the Military Dog Centre in Nakhon Ratchasima’s Pak Chong district put six Labrador retrievers, 30 German shepherds and 18 Belgian Malinois under the hammer.

The auction’s top 10 highest-priced dogs were:

- Hilma, female Labrador retriever, four years and 10 months old, 120,000 baht

- Evian, female German shepherd, four years and 10 months old, 50,000 baht

- Brightman, male German shepherd, two years and four months old, 25,000 baht

- Colby, male Belgian Malinois, three years and three months, 25,000 baht

- Cindy, female Belgian Malinois, three years and four months, 17,000 baht

- Hoffman, male Labrador retriever, two years and 11 months, 15,000 baht

- Sully, female Belgian Malinois, three years and three months, 14,000 baht

- Deacon, male Belgian Malinois, two years and five months, 10,000 baht

- Hogan, male Labrador retriever, two years and 11 months, 10,000 baht

- Luis, male Labrador retriever, three years and five months, 8,500 baht

- Casper, male Belgian Malinois, (no age given), 8,000 baht

- Carlton, male Belgian Malinois, two years and four months, 8,000 baht

- Loppy, male Labrador retriever, seven years and nine months, 3,000 baht

The auction of military dogs is a regular event held by the army. The dogs auctioned off are typically those that are deemed not suitable for service because of age, health, or temperament. They are typically sold to civilians or organisations that can provide them with a good home.

Hilma was deemed not suitable for military service because it was too fat, officials said. Kesanee Crosskerrie won the bid for Hilma by offering 120,000 baht.

Kesanee said she travelled from the Netherlands with her daughter to participate in the auction on behalf of her sister. She said she was familiar with Hilma because she had entered the centre to play with the dog dozens of times.