Category: Dogs With Jobs

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Therapy Dog At Genesee County Jail Viciously Attacked By Inmate

The Genesee County Jail’s 13-month-old therapy dog, Josie, was greeting inmates throughout the jail when she gets viciously attacked by an inmate on Tuesday, September 24.

In a news conference recorded via Facebook Live, Sheriff Chris Swanson revealed what went down during the violent incident inside Genesee County Jail.

During the encounter, Josie approached the inmate, Romello Maxwell, who was lying on the ground, before getting punched by him.

Josie started crying after being struck violently. And this prompted another inmate, who was sweeping the floor, approach Maxwell as a response to the violent encounter.

Sheriff Swanson reveals, “He struck Josie hard enough that created a concussion and scrapped the inside of her pupil.”

“She was sent to the vet emergency, [where] she stayed there for a day and a half. We had to get an MRI, we thought that it may have been a brain bleed and the cost is in the thousands,” the Sheriff added.

After watching the surveillance video of the attack, Prosecutor David Leyton said they charged Maxwell “as harshly as possible under Michigan law.”

Maxwell is charged as a habitual offender, which increases the maximum penalty from four years to eight years.

Furthermore, Maxwell has been revealed to have a history of assault against people, having previously assaulted two deputies in the last year.

“We’re going to hold people accountable. If they’re going to do that to these animals, they’re going to do it to people,” Sheriff Swanson said as he held Josie.

Leyton also said, “I don’t think the laws in Michigan are strong enough to protect our furry friends, and I think that if the legislature is listening and watching, maybe you’ll want to take a bill in that increases the penalties for people who would harm our friends, our dogs and our cats.”

Sheriff Swanson also reveals during the news conference that Josie is now doing well and is back on the job.

However, after the revelation that the dog is back to doing her job, people online were worried for Josie’s life and how dangerous it is for her breed, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, to be doing this job around inmates.

One user wrote, “Cavalier’s are too fragile to be put in potential harm. Therapy dog yes for nursing homes, pediatric units, helping yes but not inmates that had history of abuse.”

“Cavaliers are such small dogs. I just don’t understand how anyone thought it would be smart to expose a small animal to inmates who are known to be willfully and carelessly violent,” another wrote.

“I understand that therapy dogs can be beneficial, but in this scenario, at least use a larger breed that has a better chance at being able to defend itself and in the future, don’t leave them alone with these inmates to fend for themselves,” the user continued, before proceeding to call the incident a “careless mistake that could have been avoided”.

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From Being A Neglected Dog To ASCPA’s 2024 Dog Of The Year: Meet Harper The Black Lab Mix

Sometimes, life will take you places you don’t expect, but totally deserve.

We can say the same for Harper when her life took a 180 degree turn – from being a neglected dog rescued by an animal shelter, to being a disaster search dog, and now to The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) Dog Of The Year.

The ASPCA unveiled Harper as its 2024 Humane Awards Dog Of The Year recipient on September 18 along with this year’s other heroic winners.

As this year’s Dog Of The Year award recipient, ASPCA shares what made Harper the cream of the crop.

According to ASPCA, Harper is a Black Labrador mix and was one of the 22 dogs confiscated in a hoarding and neglect case years ago.

He was initially placed with the Humane Society of the Black Hills in South Dakota before being accepted into the Search Dog Foundation (SDF)’s program on January 2020.

ASPCA revealed that SDF is “an organization whose mission is to strengthen disaster response in America by rescuing and recruiting dogs and partnering them with firefighters and other first responders to find people buried alive in the wreckage of disasters.“

They further revealed that SDF determined that among the 22 dogs rescued from neglect, Harper “showed great potential for becoming a disaster search dog.“

Harper then became a candidate in the pilot program to train to become a Human Remains Detection (HRD) canines for California Task Force 2 (CA-TF2).

According to ASPCA, “CA-TF2 is the West Coast’s only internationally deployable task force comprised of physicians, HAZMAT specialists, rescue specialists and canine search specialists.“

And harper was one of the three HRD canines for the task force and she graduated with flying colors on May of 2021.

After graduation, Harper was paired with firefighter Edward Ruiz of the Los Angeles County Fire Department.

CA-TF2, including Harper and Ruiz, trained diligently until they achieved FEMA certification on July 2022.

After Harper’s certification as a disaster search canine in 2022, she and Ruiz have been helping save lives and bringing closure to loved ones.

ASPCA reveals that the pair have been deployed multiple times, including to Hurricane Ian in Florida in 2022 and more recently to the Lahaina fire in Hawaii.

“Alongside nearly 40 other canine teams, they searched through ash and debris for those lost in the devastating wildfire that swept through the Lahaina community on Aug. 8, 2023,” ASPCA wrote.

Hoomans saw the potential Harper had in her all those years ago and she has proved to them, time and time again, that she is a talented, dedicated, and hardworking dog capable of helping save lives.

And for her countless contributions, the ASPCA honored her with an award only the goodest of girls and boys deserve – the ASPCA Dog Of The Year award.

Matt Bershadker, President and CEO of the ASPCA said, “Our 2024 ASPCA Humane Award honorees are supporting vulnerable animals and elevating critical protections across the country, exemplifying the ASPCA’s vision of a compassionate nation where all animals are treated with respect and kindness.”

“From working on the frontlines of disasters, to advocating on behalf of animals who are unable to do so for themselves, this year’s Humane Award recipients are heroes and we are grateful for their service,” he added.

The 2024 Humane Awards by the ASPCA honors “both people and animal heroes from across the country who have gone above and beyond to bring attention to animal welfare and better the lives of those around them.”

Harper, along with other honorees, will be formally celebrated for their outstanding contributions at a luncheon in New York City on Thursday, October 10.

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Police Scotland Pays Tribute To Police Dog Who Sniffed Out Drugs Worth $12M Throughout Career

Tributes have been paid to police dog Gizmo, who was based at Loch Ryan, Scotland, after passing away on August 08 after a period of illness.

Police Scotland Dumfries & Galloway announced the police dog’s passing on Tuesday, September 24.

According to the Police Divisions, the 11-year-old Sprocker Spaniel had a 10-year career as a police dog.

And during Gizmo’s time as a police dog, he was able to sniff out drugs worth $12 million in the area and across the country.

Aside from sniffing out drugs, Gizmo also worked at major events such as state visits, music events, and sporting events.

Gizmo was first introduced by Police Scotland on Christmas in 2014 when he just joined the border policing team at Loch Ryan Port.

In 2015, Gizmo became the successor of another amazing police dog, Buster. Buster retired after a successful career that lasted for 7 years. During Buster’s time as a police dog, he was able to detect over $7 million worth of drugs in Scotland.

In a June 2015 Facebook post, Police Scotland wrote, “One year old Gizmo is taking over Buster’s search duties – hunting for weapons, drugs, cash, stolen items and explosives. He learnt a lot from Buster in the day they spent working together.”

And after learning from the best, Gizmo went on to become one of, if not the most talented, police dog in Scotland.

In 2022 alone, Gizmo, after working with Border Police, was able to find cannabis with an estimated street value of $1.5 million at the seaports in a village in Scotland called Cairnryan.

Detective Sergeant David Hanlon said: “We are deeply saddened by the death of Police Dog Gizmo, who was a fundamental part of our team.”

“Police dogs are a crucial support in our work to keep our communities safe and deter crime.”

“Gizmo was a valued colleague, and he will be sadly missed, especially by his former handler.”