PBSO Cpl. Brian Cullen works with his partner Justice.
Jerry Lower/The Coastal Star
By Arden Moore
I’ve often wondered why it is that of all the various species on the planet, dogs appear to rank among the most diverse. Consider that there are more than 150 recognized breeds by the American Kennel Club — and that list keeps growing each year.
The canine species is well represented by itty-bitty dogs who can fit in your hand as well as mountain-sized ones who tip the scales well past 150 pounds. There are dogs who bark a lot (try finding the mute button on a miniature schnauzer when the door bell rings) as well as genuine “hush” puppies (like the basenji.) There are dogs with nearly hairless coats (Peruvian hairless dog comes to mind) and ones with heavy dreds that hide their eyes and make them look like four-legged cousins to Whoopi Goldberg (take a play bow, all you Komondors).
Surprisingly, I can spell but never pronounce the exotic breed known as the Xoloitzcuintli (sanely also referred to as the Mexican hairless) and will forever regard the Pembroke Welsh corgi as my favorite breed (small, smart dog with a big-dog attitude).
I thought I knew much about dogs, until I got stumped by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office. Its stellar canine unit includes a priceless breed aptly nicknamed the “money dog.” It turns out any dog with the right training, temperament and super sense of smell can become a money dog.
The “sniff-me-some-money” dogs on the Sheriff’s Office K9 unit answer to the names Cero, a German shepherd, and Marley, a Labrador retriever. In the past two years, this dynamic doggy duo has helped law enforcement officers find and seize more than $3.5 million in illegal money, including about $1 million stashed inside the wells of a boat arriving from the Bahamas.
“We have many types of dogs trained to do various police jobs, from cadaver dogs, live-find dogs, narcotic-sniffing dogs, bomb detection dogs, TSA (airport security) dogs, patrol dogs and scent detection dogs, but the money dog is new to us,” says Lt. Mark Halperin, K9 unit commander. “A dog can be trained to detect any odor, and having money dogs has definitely been an asset for us. We use them on search warrants in the narcotics world, at the airport and private shipping industry, where people may be moving money back and forth to purchase drugs.”
OK, I know I declared that the corgi was my No. 1 breed a few paragraphs earlier, but I may be leaning now heavily in favor of adopting a money dog. Imagine having a dog who can find money. That’s a far better canine trick that fetching the television remote.
To properly train a money dog worthy of being part of the police pack, Halperin said, the department first orders brand-new bills not yet in circulation. The goal is to get these dogs to home in on the scent of the ink and paper used in our currency. In time, they learn to zero in on the moolah. Now, that’s a skill.
In fact, all of the 57 dogs working for the Sheriff’s Office are stepping up and accomplishing a twofold mission: win support from the community and reduce the crime rate.
“Everyone loves dogs, from kids to adults, and our dogs help us connect with the public and the public to connect with us,” says Halperin. “Our police dogs are also family dogs who enjoy being with our children and our neighbors when they are off duty. They visit schools. Patrol dogs also help us apprehend fugitive and violent criminals trying to evade justice. Statistics show that when there is a police dog present, there is a great chance for a more peaceful surrender.”
Three bloodhounds — named Bolo, Justice and Bandit — are hard at work using their powerful noses to track down children who may have been abducted as well as locate people with dementia who have wandered off. This breed can deftly discriminate various scents and then lock into the targeted odor (perhaps the scent of the person from a pillowcase or T-shirt).
“Bolo recently located an older adult with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing in the middle of the night,” says Halperin. “Bolo tracked him to a parking lot where we found the man sitting down. He immediately picked up the scent and led us right to him.”
Halperin has been in charge of the K9 unit since 2009, but is a lifelong dog lover.
His current dog is Rony, a German shepherd trained to detect narcotics. When he is off duty, Rony enjoys going on walks and runs with Halperin and his family. “Rony has a loud, commanding bark that might make you scared of him at first, but I give him the cue and he relaxes and rolls up on his back,” says Halperin. “We want to keep Palm Beach County a safe place to live and dogs like Rony are helping us accomplish this.”
Arden Moore, founder of Four Legged Life.com, is an animal behavior consultant, editor, author, professional speaker and master certified pet first aid instructor. Each week, she hosts the popular Oh Behave! show on PetLifeRadio.com. Learn more by visiting www.fourleggedlife.com.
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