Tulsa Bomb Dog Is One Of A Kind In The Region

Thursday, December 21st 2006, 11:21 am

By: News On 6

Security is now a bigger concern in America than ever before. With an increased threat of terrorism new measures are needed to keep us safe. The Tulsa County Sheriff's department held its first public demonstration of the latest weapon in its arsenal, a hi-tech tool developed not by scientists, but Mother Nature.

The News on Six's Heather Lewin explains.

Barely two feet high and less than two years old, "Shirley," a Labrador Retriever, is a well-behaved, lovable dog.

But don't let the cute face fool you, she's also an efficient crime fighter, specially trained by the ATF to recognize 19,000 different explosive compounds.

Despite "distraction cans" filled with tasty treats and other scents, during this drill, Shirley hit the correct targets every time. Clearing a courtroom, it took Shirley only seconds to find a hidden gun, one that hadn't even been recently fired.

What's so special about this dog is she can detect smaller amounts than most, even trace explosives, hidden just about anywhere.

"She's one of the only dogs that can find trace evidence, and locate guns and be able to go out on search warrants and do those, so she's a crime fighting machine for this area," said Tulsa County Deputy Tracey Breeden.

It's more than a full-time job for Shirley's handler; the two are together 24 hours a day and must train constantly. After 10 weeks on the East Coast Shirley was one of the top dogs in her class.

"Their certification is double what the national standard of certification is that other dogs meet, so it's much more difficult, they're trained on more odors, those types of things than other dogs are," Breeden said.

As the only ATF dog in the region, Shirley can be called out to assist other departments in all types of situations. From weapons arrests to protecting high profile visitors, a lot of responsibility rests on these four paws.

"Well in today's environment with terrorism, it's extremely important for the safety of all citizens in Tulsa County," Sheriff Stanley Glanz said.

Shirley is one of only 130 such dogs in the country. To be certified, she had to pass a blind test, successfully detecting 20 different explosives, two of which she'd never been exposed to before.