 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
  |
|||||
What is a Canine Enforcement Team? A Canine Enforcement Team consists of a detector dog (that’s me) and a canine enforcement officer (that’s my trainer). We are assigned to Customs international airports, seaports and border ports to search aircraft, cargo, baggage, mail, ships and vehicles for narcotics being smuggled into the U.S. How did you become a part of a Canine Enforcement Team? The Customs Service found me at an animal shelter four years ago. I was only one year old then. I was selected to be part of the Canine Enforcement Team because I’m social, like to play ball, and have a natural drive to hunt. I had to pass a series of tests to determine if I had the right temperament for the job. Only about 1 dog out of 45 passes all the tests. I feel really lucky to have been saved from the animal shelter! Most detector dogs are Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shephards, Brittany spaniels, German short-hair pointers, Dutch shephards and mixed breeds. How were your trained? I was trained at the Canine Enforcement Training Center in Fort Royal, Virginia. There I was taught to detect concealed narcotics and dangerous drugs. My trainer was instructed in law enforcement and in the art of employing and reading my "alert" signs. My performance is reviewed once a year and I have to pass all of the tests with 100% accuracy. What do you do all day? I live at the kennel, so I wake up and eat breakfast then wait for my trainer to pick me up. I love it when my trainer comes to get me up in the morning, I wag my tail and give him big good morning kisses. We usually go the airport first to sniff some luggage. After that, we spend some time searching containers (like the Boomerang Box) at customs warehouses in Seattle and Tacoma. When I find something in luggage or containers, I scratch and bite at it. Then I’m rewarded with a tug-a-war play time with my favorite toy (the towel you see in my mouth in the photo). I’m always searching so wherever we go, I’m just sniff, sniff, sniff. At the end of the day, my trainer takes me back to the kennel for the night. Tell me about your biggest successes, Cabo? My biggest find was on the Mexican border where I uncovered 830 pounds of cocaine in a vehicle and house. My trainer was so proud that he gave me a steak for dinner that night! What was it like working on the Mexican border? The Mexican border was tough work. I worked long hours, and sometimes searched up to 200 cars per day in the middle of the hot summer. I spent most of my time searching cars using both sweep searches and intensive searches. It was great experience but I’m happy to be out of the heat. When did you move to Seattle? My trainer and I just moved to Seattle a month ago. The funny thing is that I thought I smelled something in the very first piece of luggage down the ramp on my third week. I alerted my trainer by scratching and biting and I was right. The piece of luggage from Denmark contained six ounces of hash. I think they already like me in Seattle! How long will you be a part of the Canine Enforcement Team? As long as we pass our tests 100% all the time, most of us (dogs) are in the program for 8-10 years. Some dogs spend less time if they don’t pass their tests or if they get hurt. My trainer’s first dog was medically retired after she had only been in the program for a few years because she hurt her back. My trainer adopted her and now she spends time at his house lounging around as a pet. Most dogs are adopted after they retire from the team. Why does Customs use dogs for searching rather than people? Well, I don’t want to sound like a snob, but we’re faster. I can thoroughly examine a vehicle in 5 to 6 minutes whereas it would take an inspector at least 20 minutes to conduct a simple search. I can check packages and luggage in a fraction of the time needed by an inspector. As a team, my trainer and I can process about 400-500 packages in 30 minutes and about 200 vehicles per day. But I couldn't do this job alone, I need my trainer and we definitely work as a team! How do you like working with your trainer? We've been working together for four years and it's been great. My trainer is so much fun. He gives me lots of affection and plays with me a lot. He praises me when I find things in cars, containers and luggage. He usually plays tug-a-war with my towel with me. I like cruising around with him all day long. I miss him a lot on the weekends. Tell us how your trainer became part of the Canine Enforcement Program. My trainer is so smart. He graduated from Northern Arizona University with a degree in criminal justice. He decided to join the U.S. Customs Service and went through their Academy. He thought he might want to be a special agent with Customs, but now loves being a Canine Enforcement Officer. How did your trainer know he wanted to graduate with a degree in criminal justice? In 8th grade, my trainer and his family took a trip to Washington, D.C. After a tour at the White House, a secret service agent gave a speech about his job. My trainer enjoyed his talk so much, he asked him how he could become a secret service agent. From that moment on he always wanted to be in law enforcement or somehow involved with drug interdiction. Any advice to kids K-12? Since my advice would be to play all day, I decided to consult my trainer. His best advice is to go to school, graduate from college, and stay out of trouble. Then if you’re interested, put in your application with U.S. Customs. There are a lot of really interesting job with Customs. A great way to find out about these jobs is by applying for the Customs Explorer program. For more information, check out their Web site at: http://www.customs.ustreas.gov/about/custexpl.htm. Also, for more information about having a Customs Canine Enforcement Team Dog Demo at your school, contact your local U.S. Customs office. |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|