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Meet
Golden Chance
K-9's Training Paid For With Drug Money
- Drug Dog Already On Patrol
Local6.com, June 28, 2005
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Chance, BSO K-9 officer
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BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. -- There's a new deputy working in Broward County, one who
likes his belly rubbed when he does a good job, and whose training was paid for
with drug money.
The Broward County Sheriff's Office introduced its newest K-9 officer on
Tuesday. Chance, a 14-month-old Golden Retriever, fills a void left by the death
of K-9 Bud this past April following a bout with cancer. In his nearly
decade-long career with BSO, Bud had uncovered more than $4 million in drug
money and millions of dollars worth of dope.
BSO says that so far, Chance is off to a great start. Since he began patrolling
the streets of Pompano Beach with Deputy Andy Weiman in mid-May, Chance has
sniffed-out more than 250 grams of illegal drugs and nearly $3,000 in dirty
money.
"It's poetic justice," said Maj. Frank Lightbourn, BSO's district commander in
Pompano Beach. "We used funds forfeited from criminal activities to obtain and
train Chance. The dope dealers are helping us get more resources to arrest them
and put them out of business."
Chance was born in Canada and trained at the Canada Border Services Agency's
Learning Centre in Rigaud, Quebec, where only about 1 in 10 dogs is chosen for
the rigorous, 10-week program. The dogs learn to detect narcotics or explosives,
how to work with their human partners, and become familiar with the different
types of conditions under which they'll work. Following the training, the dogs
usually live with their handler and put in an average of 8 to 10 years of
service.
Chance joins nearly two-dozen other dogs in BSO's K-9 Unit and will work
primarily in Pompano Beach. But he’ll be available to assist other cities and
agencies throughout Broward County. BSO's K-9s are frequently called upon to
search buildings and areas for suspects, victims, and missing persons. They also
sniff out explosives and narcotics and work side by side with their handlers
providing road patrol for BSO districts.
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