Sheriff’s Office Has A Sniffing Dog
May 28, 2020
Harford County Sheriffs Department has added a new canine member to its police force. It’s very common for police departments to have dogs on the force to sniff out bombs, drugs, and people, but this K9 is the first of its kind in the State of Maryland.
Sata, a beautiful, fluffy black dog, is trained as a Electronic Storage Detection canine (or ESD). Sata can sniff out all kinds of electronic data storage devices like flash drives and cell phones. The dog and his human handler will be assigned to Harford County’s Child Advocacy Center Internet Crimes Against Children Unit.
The dog was brought to the department to help investigators find digital storage, often a crucial piece of evidence in crimes involving sexual offenses.
“K9 Sata will allow the Harford County Sheriff’s Office to expand our investigative capabilities to address the growing number of cases involving digital media,” said Sheriff Jeffrey R. Gahler. “Access to this cutting-edge opportunity greatly enhances our abilities to protect the most vulnerable among us, our children.”
Sata is also trained as a therapy and comfort dog and will replace the department’s beloved therapy dog Kilo, who passed away last year. Therapy dogs can be used by law enforcement to comfort children and adults in stressful situations. Interaction with animals can help humans lower anxiety and blood pressure and take their minds off the situation. Sata is joined by her human handler, Detective Carey Gerres, and will help the department bring justice to the victims of child pornography and other sexual abuse crimes.
Sata was trained by a renowned K9 training company made possible by a grant from Neighborhood Electronic Detection K-9, a nonprofit dedicated to training dogs for ESD detection. Funding was also provided by the Governor’s Office of Crime Prevention and the Harford County Task Force.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]