DUBLIN Va. —Hefe went from living in a homeless shelter to graduating number one in his class. He is now gainfully employed at the Virginia Department of Corrections.
From the same shelter came Snoopy and Gator who graduated with high honors. Both also work for the D.O.C.
But what is unusual about these three law enforcement agents lies not in their impoverished backgrounds, but in the fact that Hefe is a German Shepherd mix; Snoopy and Gator Pit Bulls.
The Virginia Department of Corrections has pulled seven dogs from the Pulaski County Animal Shelter to attend class in Richmond for training in detection. Out of the seven dogs, six have graduated successfully and gone on to serve in the D.O.C.'s Canine Unit. The dogs are charged with detecting narcotics, cell phones, tobacco in prisons, and trailing escapees. The Canine teams work around the clock and are on call 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Horace the hound, Hefe, Sam the English Setter, Gator, Snoopy, and another pit bull named Butterfield are doing great and love their jobs, according to the D.O.C. which recently presented a plaque to Pulaski County Animal Control in honor of these canine workers.
"We are particularly proud of the three Pit Bulls," said Pulaski County Humane Society President, Rita Anderson. "Pit Bulls have gotten a bad rep down through the years. But dogs are like people—abuse them enough, teach them they have to fight to survive and they will. But Pit Bulls are actually very sweet, mild tempered and extremely intelligent dogs." Anderson owns two Pit Bulls herself.
Pulaski County Animal Control began partnering with the D.O.C. in January 2011 when a Department of Corrections representative visited the shelter to test dogs with strong ball drive. They look for canines with acute focus. Part of the test consists of staging distractions and seeing if the dogs respond.
"The D.O.C. is saving dogs that otherwise might be euthanized due space issues at the shelter. In return, the department is getting quality labor an inexpensive rate that saves taxpayers' dollars. This partnership is definitely a win-win situation for dogs and human citizens alike," said Anderson.
