Retired Border Service Dog Sold for $2 at Kazakhstan Auction

A retired German shepherd named Mateo has been sold at auction for 935 tenge — about two dollars — after several unsuccessful attempts to find a buyer, Orda.kz reports.

The August 18 auction was conducted by Kazspetsexport. Mateo previously served with the National Security Committee’s Border Service in the Pavlodar region.

Mateo was one of three German shepherds born in 2016 that the regional Border Service retired. The other two were named Madame and Mallorca. They had served in border units in the Irtysh, Sharbakty and Zhelezin districts. Each dog was valued at 935 tenge.

Why Mateo Was Retired

The dogs were approximately nine years old when assessed, exceeding the Border Service’s maximum working age of eight years and three months. They were therefore classified as unused state property.

Assessors described all three dogs as being in normal condition, rating them five out of nine. They remained in the Border Service’s care but were no longer being fully used for official duties.

The assessment used the nine-point Henneke body condition system, even though it was developed for horses rather than dogs.

Original author: Ilya Astakhov

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