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2/13/2008 - KADENA AIR BASE, Japan (AFPN) -- The protective gas mask used in local operational response exercises is very effective in a chemical environment for most Airmen throughout the Air Force, but its design leaves some unprotected. One group at the 18th Security Forces Squadron here is preparing to handle the possibility of chemical attacks in a different way. Airmen in the military working dog element have a unique situation where they must deal with protecting their canine counterparts from potential chemical attacks without being able to use many of the countermeasures humans use. The Airmen take a number...

PINEVILLE, Ky. - Two teenagers were charged with murder today after they led police on a high-speed chase in southeastern Kentucky and hit a parked sheriff's cruiser, killing the deputy and K-9 dog inside, authorities said. "That happens so often. The bad guys walk away ... too many times," said Bell County Sheriff Bruce Bennett, pausing to brush back tears. "Of course, these are young people. But still, they are murderers now." The driver drove away from an Exxon station in Baxter without paying for $38 worth of gas at 12:35 a.m., authorities said. Police followed the car at least...

Lost "Mohammed" Dog Poster Left in Front of Muslim This happened in Lewiston, Maine, the same place where a ham steak left on a lunch bag was investigated as a hate crime. Check out the phone number on the poster, Tommy Tutone now wanted for questioning.... LEWISTON (NEWS CENTER) -- Members of the Somali community in Lewiston say a poster put up in front of a local Somali owned store is an insult to their religion The poster depicts a vicious "lost" dog named Mohammed. That's the name of the Muslim prophet. It says that the dog is not good...

OCEANSIDE ---- A pursuit suspect from Oceanside stopped his vehicle midspan on the Coronado Bridge, exited the car and jumped off the bridge at about 7:25 p.m.Monday, along with an Oceanside police dog that tried to stop him, according to California Highway Patrol officer Larry Landeros. The man lived, but the dog died. The pursuit began in Oceanside at 6:44 p.m after police suspected the driver was intoxicated. During the pursuit, the man was involved in a hit-and-run crash, authorities said.Highway Patrol officers joined the pursuit southbound on Interstate 5 as the car approached the Coronado Bridge, Landeros said. The...

SAN DIEGO (CBS) ― A possibly drunk driver was critically injured in a 200-foot jump from the Coronado Bridge Monday following a high-speed chase that began in Oceanside, according to media reports. The incident began about 7 p.m. when an Oceanside police officer saw the man driving erratically on the San Diego (5) Freeway, according to KCAL 9. The suspect sped away when the officer attempted to stop him for suspicion of driving under the influence, prompting a vehicle pursuit, in which the man ran red lights and struck another vehicle, KCAL 9 reported. The chase ended at the San...

"It's not going to bring back my brother, but it's something close to it," said Madison Lee as she played with Lex after the ceremony. Military officials initially told the family that Lex had another two years of service before he could be adopted. But the family lobbied for months — even enlisting the aid of a North Carolina congressman — and the adoption came exactly nine months after the 20-year-old Marine was killed and his dog wounded on March 21 in Iraq's Anbar Province. 2nd Lt. Caleb Eames, spokesman for the Albany base, said Lee and Lex were sitting...

You really couldn't make it up... a Welsh police force is training its dogs to headbutt criminals rather than bite them, because politically correct - 'PC' - bosses are afraid that allowing the dogs to bite criminals will infringe their human rights! The policy, devised by North Wales Police, comes as a result of increased compensation claims from members of the public who have been bitten by police dogs. Officers say the toothless tactic provides a safer way to tackle uncooperative offenders, and dog squads may soon adopt it across the country. But critics say it is another example of...

Multi-millionaire dog receives death threats A dog left £6million by her late owner has been moved to a safe house after receiving death threats. Trouble, a small white Maltese, inherited her fortune from property and hotel billionaire Leona Helmsley. The dog came out significantly better in its owner's will than members of the Helmsley family - two of her grandchildren received nothing. But the so-called Queen of Mean's multi-million dollar trust fund for Trouble may have backfired. The New York Post reports that Trouble's new guardians have received around two dozen death threats directed at the bitch. Two months ago,...

Police: Dog shows signs of rape It's a crime so disgusting that Sheriff Joe is offering a $2,000 reward to anyone who can help catch these sick criminals. Police say a year-old Russell Terrier was dropped off at a valley animal hospital where vets determined the dog had been raped. Witnesses have described to police who they saw going into and leaving the clinic around the time the dog was dropped off. Anyone with information about this case can call the Sheriff's Department. Note: Click on the MyFoxPhoenix.com link to watch the video news report of this story.

Freedom Middle School Orlando school uses extra-sensitive dog as counselor for students Mr. Harv instinctively picks up on body language, facial expressions and tone of voice. Susan Jacobson Sentinel Staff Writer November 9, 2007 When Mr. Harv goes to school, he spends his time playing ball, sitting on students' laps and lying down on the job. It's all in a day's work for Harv, Freedom Middle School's unofficial mascot and Central Florida's only known full-time canine counselor. At Freedom, every day is a dog day. Students greet Harv with hearty "hellos" and a vigorous belly rub. If there's a crisis...

BRUSH PRAIRIE - The tracking dog Dakota was shot and killed Tuesday as teams of SWAT officers closed in on an armed convicted murderer - who allegedly had told an acquaintance he wanted to "kill a cop." Dakota, a 5-year-old German shepherd owned by the Vancouver Police Department, was shot in the head and killed about 3 ½ hours after police were called to the Lewis & Clark Railway Co. tracks just east of Northeast Caples Road in Brush Prairie. No one else was reported injured during the manhunt, which ended with the alleged gunman's arrest. Police fired no shots....

A North Side man discovered the hard way that taunting and threatening a police officer's K-9 dog is a felony offense in Pennsylvania. Kenneth King, 23, of 106 Sherman Ave., has been in the Allegheny County Jail since Sunday because he has been unable to come up with the $100,000 bond set by District Judge Eugene Ricciardi.

A dog-taunting charge has put a North Side man behind bars on $100,000 bond. Kenneth King, 23, is charged with taunting Benny, the German shepherd partner of Pittsburgh police Officer Ron Absted, according to an arrest affidavit. Police said King screamed and swore at the dog Sunday afternoon outside a Cedar Avenue gas station and threatened to cut the dog with a knife. "He's never broken the law before, so I don't think he realizes how serious this situation is," said King's mother, Annette Cash, of the North Side. "But to give him a bail that high? People have been...

Oklahoma Teen Bitten Between Legs By K9 Cop By Russell Carter KFOR/NBC News Channel OKLAHOMA CITY, OK -- Oklahoma City police are facing allegations of brutality, after a 15-year-old boy claims officers used a K-9 to help arrest him and then bite him between his legs. 15-year-old Mark Adkins is now facing several charges after taking a joy ride in stolen car and getting into a short pursuit with police in southwest Oklahoma city. But along with the charges he's now facing an uphill battle with his health after being captured by a K-9 officer that tore away flesh along...

I remember hearing a short while ago that the Islamic Republic Police had “arrested” dogs, as a part of their “fight against immodesty”. Today, a very good friend sent a set of pictures of the arrested dogs. Clearly, these dogs are not meant to live in the conditions they are being kept, but, anyways, they do not treat human beings anything better.

Prince William County police say a K-9 dog investigating a store burglary in Manassas was bitten by a poisonous snake. -snip- Police say "Koda" was assisting a police officer when he was bitten by a copperhead snake while searching the surrounding area for the burglary suspects. Koda was transported to a local veterinarian hospital and was treated for the bite. Officials say the K-9 will be temporarily off duty and is expected to make a full recovery. -snip-

PHOENIX - A suburban police officer is accused of leaving a police dog in a patrol car for more than 12 hours on a 109-degree day, killing the animal. Chandler police Sgt. Tom Lovejoy was booked into the Maricopa County jail on a misdemeanor charge of animal cruelty after a two-week investigation into the death of a 5-year-old Belgian Malinois named Bandit. He was released later Wednesday, said Capt. Paul Chagolla, a spokesman for the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office. The sheriff's investigation showed Bandit was in Lovejoy's patrol car from about 9 a.m. to shortly after 10 p.m. Aug. 11....

Has a mythical beast turned up in Texas? By ELIZABETH WHITE, Associated Press Writer August 31, 2007 Phylis Canion lived in Africa for four years. She's been a hunter all her life and has the mounted heads of a zebra and other exotic animals in her house to prove it. But the roadkill she found last month outside her ranch was a new one even for her, worth putting in a freezer hidden from curious onlookers: Canion believes she may have the head of the mythical, bloodsucking chupacabra. "It is one ugly creature," Canion said, holding the head of the...

MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - A top police sniffer dog working for an elite Mexican drug squad was stolen during an airport transfer by thieves who left a mixed-breed puppy in its place, the attorney general's office said. Rex IV, a highly trained Belgian Malinois sheepdog with a string of drug hauls behind him, was checked on to a flight from Mexico City this week with seven other police dogs bound for an operation in the northern state of Sinaloa. But when the dogs arrived at Mazatlan airport, Sinaloa, their police handlers discovered a small black mongrel puppy inside Rex IV's...

One of the aspects of the Michael Vick dog fighting investigation that hasn't gotten much attention is how it all started. So let's explain: It all started with a dog named Troy. Troy is a Dutch shepherd (that's a Dutch shepherd in the photo, but it's not Troy) who joined the police department in Hampton, Va., last year. During a patrol outside a Hampton nightclub in April, Troy alerted his handler that he smelled drugs in the trunk of a car. Police found marijuana in the car, which turned out to belong to Vick's cousin, Davon Boddie. After arresting Boddie,...

Sgt. Tom Lovejoy, who heads the six-dog K-9 unit, found the 5-year-old Belgian Malinois when he walked out to the vehicle parked at his home, police spokesman Sgt. Rick Griner said.

Stryker worked some of the most high-profile cases in our area. After the terrorist plane crash into the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 the German Shephard--along with his handler, Park Police Officer Alice Hanan, searched through the rubble brought from the building. The Maryland-National Capital Park and Planning Commission (M-NCPPC) says Stryker made 108 finds in the disaster’s aftermath. Stryker helped search for missing persons Michelle Dorr, Susan Stottmeister and Chandra Levy. He was also brought in after the water taxi accident in Baltimore Harbor in 2004. The dog also helped in 113 drug arrests that resulted in $152,923 worth...

The Border Patrol is beefing up its forces with thousands of new agents, and for some, that also means training their four-legged partners. Dogs play an increasingly important role in border security, and KENS 5 got a look inside the National Canine Facility in El Paso. Clay Thomas and his partner Jacko the dog search vehicles during a demonstration at the canine training facility, and in a matter of seconds, it's clear to Jacko that there's something — or someone — hidden in a truck. Jacko has a proven track record at real checkpoints, having found more than 200 people...

PETA'S GOT BETTER FRIENDS THAN MICHAEL VICK Even if Vick wins his legal battle, here's a hint that the PR war will be a bloodbath. In a show of its political clout, PETA sent a letter in conjunction with longtime allies Russell Simmons and Al Sharpton to Falcons owner Arthur Blank, NFL commish Roger Goodell and Vick's corporate sponsors condemning dogfighting. At every turn, people around Vick have anonymously thrown him under the bus. Coincidentally, PETA's friends use their names for the very same reason. Oh yeah, Vick's in bad shape. Really, is there a worse pair of enemies for...

Two PETA employees accused of stealing a hunting dog and discarding its electronic tracking device are scheduled to go to trial today in Southampton General District Court. Carrie Beth Edwards and Andrea Florence Benoit face grand larceny and petty larceny charges. Southampton County police say they pulled over Edwards and Benoit in a van registered to Norfolk-based People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals and found the dog inside.

Yesterday afternoon in Norfolk, Virginia, the Virginian-Pilot newspaper reported that the federal Drug Enforcement Administration has developed a particular interest in People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals . On April 18 a dozen DEA agents searched PETA's headquarters for records related to how the group uses--and trains its staff to use--controlled substances. We already know what the drugs are used for: PETA has killed over 14,000 helpless dogs and cats since it started reporting the practice in 1998. But since the animal-cruelty trial of two PETA employees closed three months ago, we have been wondering whether the feds would...

SPECIAL REPORT: Judge Reminds PETA That Dognapping Is A Felony June 27, 2007 Yesterday, the latest People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) employee to run afoul of the law made her get-out-of-jail-free arguments before a Virginia judge. It didn’t go too well. At the end of a 90-minute “probable cause” hearing in the aptly named town of Courtland, Virginia, PETA worker Andrea Florence Benoit stood charged with the October 2006 felony theft of a hunting dog. And we learned a great deal more about this disturbing case, and just how far PETA will go to substitute its judgment...

...Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could talk, like Dr. Doolittle, to the animals? Of course it would, but take heart: We actually can talk with them, in a manner of speaking. Human vocabulary may elude our pets, but they all communicate in consistent ways. By learning to read their tails, ears, fur and vocalizations, we can become fluent in such foreign tongues as Siamese and Persian, Pekingese and Bernese.

Man who fed puppy to boa gets 90 days Arizona man could have been sentenced to up to a year on cruelty charge The Associated Press Updated: 3:38 p.m. PT June 14, 2007 PHOENIX - A man who coated a 3-week-old puppy in cooking oil and then fed it to his pet boa constrictor was sentenced Thursday to 90 days in jail and two years probation, prosecutors said. Joseph Beadle, 40, pleaded guilty to an animal cruelty charge in March. He has served 51 days of his jail sentence while the case was pending. Beadle, of Glendale, faced up to...

Mon 11 Jun 2007 Sniffer dogs sacked for lewd behaviour ETHAN MCNERN TWO Thai strays who became ace sniffer dogs at an airport near the notorious "Golden Triangle" opium-producing region have been fired for urinating on luggage and sexually harassing female passengers. The pair, Mok and Lai, had been plucked from obscurity under a programme initiated by King Bhumibol Adulyadej to turn strays into police dogs, the Bangkok Post said on Sunday. They won plaudits from police for their work in sniffing out drugs at northern Thailand's Chiang Rai airport, near the border with Laos and Myanmar. But so many...

Animal cruelty case yields 'doggone' dismissal June 6, 2007 By Peter Hirschfeld Times Argus Staff CHELSEA – A woman facing jail time for "staring" at a police dog had charges against her dropped Monday after an Orange County prosecutor viewed videotape of the alleged crime. Jayna Hutchinson, now of Lebanon, N.H., was scheduled for a jury trial this week on a misdemeanor charge of cruelty to animals. A Vermont State Police sergeant said Hutchinson was intoxicated and stared at his police dog in a "taunting/harassing manner" last July while officers were in the process of investigating a reported melee outside...

Staff Sgt. Chuck Shuck and his K9 partner, Sgt. 1st Class Gabe, both with 178th Military Police Detachment, 20th Military Police Battalion, take a break to hydrate during a cordon and search operation in the village of Shukran, near Forward Operating Base Q-West. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Amanda Morrissey  More Photos K9 Team Brings Special Skills to the Fight Dogs also keep morale high for combat soldiers in Iraq. By Spc. Amanda Morrissey5th Mobile Public Affairs Detachment SHUKRAN, Iraq, June 4, 2007 — For just about every cordon and search operation in Iraq, there is a special two-soldier...

<p>Two drug-sniffing dogs have disappeared from a kennel in their handler's back yard in East Baltimore, according to the Division of Corrections.</p> <p>They were last seen Saturday in the kennel at their handler's home in the Sinclair Lane and Shannon Drive area. The lock on the kennel had been broken off over the weekend.</p>

Devil Dogs take a bite out of Anbar insurgency May 11, 2007; Submitted on: 05/11/2007 01:18:26 AM ; Story ID#: 200751111826 By Cpl. Zachary Dyer, 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing (FWD) Lance Cpl. Melissa Losacker, a military working dog handler, and her canine partner, Karo, search recently vacated cans aboard Al Asad, April 23. The service members and their dogs at the Al Asad Military Working Dog kennel assist in making sure no drugs or explosives are brought onto the base. Cpl. Tara Parrish, a military working dog handler, motivates her dog, Paco, during aggression training outside the Al Asad MWD...

Bay State dogs may soon end up on a shorter leash if state and local legislators get their way. From lap dogs to pit bulls, none of the state’s pooches will escape the latest round of canine crackdowns. “You can’t allow people to be afraid all the time,” said Avril T. Elkort, vice chairwoman of the Canton Board of Selectmen, where a new ordinance limits residents to one pit bull per household. “It was a public safety issue.” Canton animal control officer Ellen Barnett objected to the new regulation. “The problem I had with it is that it was too...

2/22/2007 - SOUTHWEST ASIA (AFNEWS) -- Ensuring the safety of everyone at the 379th Air Expeditionary Wing here rests upon a group of Airmen and their highly trained four-legged partners. The 379th Expeditionary Security Forces Squadron Military Working Dog Section has several certified teams made up of handlers and their explosive detecting dogs who inspect every vehicle entering the base. The teams also conduct foot patrols, perform random anti-terrorism measures and conduct searches on base. "MWD teams are vital to all aspects of installation security," said David Aviles, the 379th ESFS MWD section kennel master. "Nothing is able to enter the base without MWD searching...

Vet staff helps out soldiers, dogs serving overseas This story appeared in the Antelope Valley Press on Friday, January 19, 2007.By CHRISTINE BERWICK Valley Press Staff Writer For the military canines in Iraq and other foreign lands, it's the little things from home that mean the most. Nail clippers, for instance. Or little toys that go "squeak." And at Smith Veterinary Hospital in Lancaster, the staff is working to make sure America's four-legged soldiers - and their human companions - get the encouragement and support they need. The veterinary hospital started "adopting" individuals in canine units in the spring through...

OK, I know this is really stupid, but my best friend is in need of good thoughts and prayers.His name is Pepper and he is a year old Cocker Spaniel. We rescued Pepper when he was only a week old. He was so infested with tics and fleas that he was anemic and could not walk. After a few days of TLC and a trip to the vet he took over as head of the pack in this house. He is so smart that I sometimes forget that he is a dog. I only had to take him outside one...

CHARDON, Ohio (AP) -- Though she's only a 6-pound Chihuahua-rat terrier mix who looks like she belongs in Paris Hilton's purse, Midge has the will, skill and nose of a 100-pound German shepherd.

THE secret slaughter of at least 10,000 racing greyhounds by one man has been exposed by an undercover investigation. For the past 15 years David Smith, a builders’ merchant, has been killing healthy greyhounds no longer considered by their trainers to be fast enough to race. He buries them in a one-acre plot at the back of his home in Seaham, Co Durham. Last week The Sunday Times covertly filmed Smith on two consecutive days receiving greyhounds from trainers before killing them with a bolt gun, dumping them in the plot and covering over the “graves” using a mechanical digger....

GRAPEVINE -- Darby, a Grapevine police dog, died Thursday morning because he could not stand to be away from his handler.The 8-year-old German shepherd escaped from a Corinth boarding kennel and veterinary clinic and ran to the home of his handler, officer Brian Hintz, Grapevine police Sgt. Bob Murphy said.Hintz dropped off the sable-colored dog at the boarding kennel because he was going out of town for a few days, Murphy said.When Hintz found Darby at his Corinth-area residence, the dog was in physical distress. Hintz immediately took Darby back to the veterinary clinic, where he died. The death may...

LONDON (Reuters) - Dog handlers in a British police force are having to take language classes -- to communicate with their latest recruits. Finding it increasingly hard to find suitable German Shepherds in Britain, some British police forces are bringing in dogs from continental Europe. But there's a problem. Although the latest arrivals possess all the attributes needed for police work, they only respond to commands in their native language. Dog handlers at Avon and Somerset police for example, which has recruited three dogs from the Netherlands, have been given a sheet of practical commands in Dutch. "We have learned...

AL ASAD, Iraq (Feb. 7, 2006) -- On Jan. 5, a suicide bomber tried to interrupt Iraq's rebuilding process at a police academy in Ramadi, but honor, courage and commitment by Iraqis and Marines alike was the only lasting result from the attack. The bond between one Marine, Cpl. Brendan N. Poelaert, a military working dog handler with 5th Battalion, 14th Marine Regiment Provisional Military Police Battalion, and an East Kingston, N.H., native, and his MWD, Flapoor, a 4-year-old Belgium Malinos, came through the carnage unscathed, even if the pair did not. Poelaert, an Exeter High School graduate, joined the...

MARINE CORPS RECRUIT DEPOT SAN DIEGO (Jan. 13, 2006) -- The Department of Defense authorized the retirement of Jaco, a military working dog for 10 years, and his adoption by former handler Sgt. Jerrod M. Glass, Jan. 8. Jaco was a member of one of seven military working dog teams stationed here as a first line of defense in the protection of depot personnel and resources through explosive and narcotic detection in support of the depot's anti-terrorism efforts. In correlation with the recent retirement of the explosives detecting canine, Jaco, and Hertha, a narcotics detecting military working dog, the K-9...

A broken tail light. A police pursuit. Another death. Less than 24 hours after a Monday morning chase by Oklahoma City police turned fatal, another chase ended with one of the men in the car jumping from a bridge at the Fort Smith junction of Interstates 35 and 40. Donny R. Tannehill, 31, died early Tuesday, according to the Oklahoma County Sheriff's Department.

12/1/2005 - PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. (AFPN) -- Two 21st Security Forces Squadron teams placed near the top in the tactical obedience and top agency areas at a national competition for working dogs. This is the sixth consecutive year squadron’s military working dogs and their handlers from here competed at the Tucson Area Police K-9 Trials in Tucson, Ariz. “Peterson teams have always done well at the trials. This year was no different,” said Master Sgt. Mark Dedrick, the squadron kennel master. He said Staff Sgt. Jesse Frank and Staff Sgt. Jesse Tames lead the way. After qualifying at...

Washington -- They had trained together for three years in the military and were deployed overseas side by side. In June, they arrived in Iraq, where they worked as a team scouring houses and villages for hidden explosives. Then, one afternoon, riding back from a mission, a roadside bomb went off under their humvee. Air Force Tech. Sgt. Jamie Dana was critically injured -- bleeding internally, her lungs collapsed, her spine fractured, her pelvis broken. In her last moment of consciousness, she asked in desperation about her comrade. "Where's Rex?" she pleaded. When no one answered, she grabbed a medic's...

LONG BEACH — Everyone who saw the raw anguish on Officer Mike Parcells' face as he carried his mortally wounded K-9 partner Ranger to a waiting team of veterinarian medics last week felt his pain. That moment captured on film and played out on TV sets throughout the country clearly showed the dogs that comprise the Long Beach Police Department's K-9 Detail are more than just animals trained to look for dangerous suspects, explosive materials or drugs. But does the dogs' amazing capacity for sniffing out what humans may never find outweigh the emotional toll of losing these trusting animals...

A paroled armed robber who shot and killed a police dog died in a hail of police gunfire in Long Beach this morning. The suspect, identified only as a known street gang member with a long criminal history, had fired a gun at officers during a foot pursuit before the final confrontation, Long Beach police said today. "The shooting appears to be justified, but that will be determined through multiple investigations," said police spokesman Sgt. David Cannan. The 4-year old dog had been on the force for two years. "Ranger was doing exactly what he was trained for," Cannan said....

A chance meeting at an Independence animal shelter has left a relocated Hurricane Katrina victim without his longtime pet. John Wyrick, who moved to the area from Mississippi following the hurricane, had taken his German Shepherd to the shelter approximately two weeks ago after learning he would not be able to keep it at a temporary residence. He released his pet of 14 years to a stranger while searching for a place to live. After finding a home, he has learned he can't have his dog back. Wyrick met with an unidentified woman visiting the shelter, said Amy Wells, shelter...