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IN DEPTH: THE NOSE KNOWS
Canine ATF agent and his handler sniff out explosives, firearms By BRIAN HAYNES Aug. 13, 2006 Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal |
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Like other ATF agents, Joe wears a badge and has a nameplate at the agency's downtown Las Vegas office.
During his four-year career he has helped protect Super Bowls, Miss America and United States presidents, and he's never had to carry handcuffs or a gun. His crime-fighting ability is all in his nose. Joe is a special breed of agent for the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. The chocolate Labrador retriever is one of the agency's few dogs trained to sniff out both explosives and firearms. "It gives man's best friend a whole new meaning," said Special Agent Nina Delgadillo, an ATF spokeswoman based in San Francisco. Joe's partner is Special Agent Lauren Townsend, a 19-year ATF veteran who worked only with humans until four years ago, when she signed up to become one of just 35 dog handlers for the agency. She was teamed with Joe, who was bred to be an assistance dog but whose assertive nature fit better with law enforcement work. The pair became inseparable, probably because Joe doesn't eat like regular dogs. "This is his bowl," Townsend said, holding up her right hand. The only time Joe gets fed is after he successfully sniffs out explosives, shell casings or whatever he's supposed to find. It's called a food reward method, and it means Townsend and Joe have to train every day so that Joe gets enough nutrition. For training, Townsend takes Joe to places like warehouses, the desert and sports arenas and hides canisters holding all kinds of materials, from pieces of a gun to rabbit droppings. Joe then sniffs his way around in search of the right scent. If he hits on the wrong smell, the rabbit dung, for example, he doesn't get food. But when he hits on the right smell, he gets a few pieces of kibble from a pouch on Townsend's belt. "His reward is his work," she said. The duo practices every day. The constant training is necessary not only to keep Joe well-fed, but to keep his skills sharp. "If you don't practice, it shows, and the dog will make you look like an idiot," Townsend said. When Joe and Townsend became partners, they worked in Southern Illinois and often helped local police agencies with searches. During one search, police were looking for a gun tossed by a fleeing drug dealer. The officers insisted that the gun was on one side of the house, but Joe kept pulling Townsend to the other side. She quickly found out why. The gun everyone was looking for was hidden under a layer of leaves. "It's like an Easter egg hunt for him," Townsend said. When they weren't helping local agencies, Joe and Townsend traveled the country and the world. They moved to Las Vegas two years ago. Since then, they've worked some of the area's biggest events, including National Finals Rodeo, NASCAR races and the "Elektra" movie premiere at the Palms. They still do a lot of work outside Las Vegas and find themselves on the road at least one week a month. Sometimes they drive, but they often fly on commercial airlines. Joe usually curls up under the seat for the trip. Once, when Joe was boarding a plane, he suddenly stopped and sat at the feet of a passenger with a briefcase, indicating he had sniffed something. "I knew there was something in that bag that was interesting to him, and it's not a salami sandwich," Townsend said. The passenger was a gun company representative and had recently removed several guns from his case. Joe recently turned 6 years old. After a few more years, he'll retire, depending on how well his body holds up. When that happens he'll become Townsend's personal pet. But until then, they'll be out there training, every day, in torrential rains and triple-digit heat. "He is like Velcro always at her side," Delgadillo said. |