Seems strange things do indeed happen regarding the capabilities of sniffer dogs. I'm still puzzling why he could ... then he couldn't ... and why he couldn't be trained up again once his handler was back at work.
New appeal to fund another sniffer dog on Orkney launched after first one lost its sense of smell
The search is on for another drugs sniffer dog crowdfunded by islanders on Orkney after the first one lost its sense of smell because it had waited too long to be set loose.
January 16, 2019
The search is on for another drugs sniffer dog crowdfunded by islanders on Orkney after the first one lost its sense of smell because it had waited too long to be set loose.
Just days before the dog was due to start to crack down on drugs dealers on the northern archipelago in October, his new handler, Kevin Moar, twisted his knee during a fitness test – delaying the groundbreaking service by three months.
Mr Moar, 50, is now in post and raring to go.
But Andrew Drever, chairman of Orkney Drugs Dog, said Whisky, who was a retiring Police Scotland dog, was not.
“With everything that happened he has not been on active duty for 12 weeks and no longer has the ability to smell drugs. He constantly needs to be on patrol.
“It is very frustrating, but we are now actively looking for another dog through police, RAF and other contacts. We have not found one yet, but we hope to have a dog in place perhaps next month.”
In September Whisky made his first swoop – even before he officially started!
Whisky was brought to Orkney for a two day introduction to meet the community with his handler PC Matthew Watson, who has since retired from the force. He agreed to keep Whisky while his new handler recovered.
But Whisky was involved in “enforcement activity” during his visit to the island – after a search of two properties at Andersquoy in Kirkwall resulted in herbal cannabis valued at approximately £300 being seized.
Whisky, a fully-trained golden Labrador, was enlisted from Police Scotland with Inverness-based PC Watson retiring.
https://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/islands/orkney/1653561/new-appeal-to-fund-another-sniffer-dog-on-orkney-launched-after-first-one-lost-its-sense-of-smell/ ... and one specially for Robitty ...
VIDEO: Specially-trained dog flown in from New Zealand to sniff out Orkney’s stoatshttps://www.pressandjournal.co.uk/fp/news/highlands/1532767/video-specially-trained-dog-flown-in-from-new-zealand-to-sniff-out-orkneys-stoats/