Apia, SAMOA — Samoa Police Service is planning to train impounded stray dogs as police dogs.

Deputy Police Commissioner, Papali'i Monalisa Tiai said the discussions were "in the pipeline", according to Samoa Observer.

Currently, police dogs and their handlers were trained in New Zealand by police.

Stray dogs picked up by Samoa's Police Dog Management Unit are housed in a facility opened in 2017.

Papalii said close to 13,000 dogs had been impounded since the unit was established.

Most of those not claimed after four days are euthanized, though some are adopted by families.