Taking a bite out of crime
Kirsten Murphy
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (May 14/01) - Nunavut's first drug detection dog has a mission: to sink his young teeth into a squishy, rubber chew toy whenever possible.
Sure, Max sniffs out drugs, either on command or on his own. And yes, the four-legged two-year-old loves trotting around schools with his handler RCMP Const. Andre Menoche. But if one thing makes Max's tail wag, it's a half-pound rubber cone reward for good behaviour.
In Max's case, good behaviour is finding drugs, whether garden variety marijuana or intravenous narcotics.
The 35-kilogram Max, who Menoche says is "75 per cent black lab and 25 per cent not sure," arrived in Iqaluit in December.
"Sometimes he's hard to control but when it's time to work he's very focused. I'm already very attached," Menoche says.
Max is Nunavut's first-ever RCMP drug dog and the Iqaluit detachment is watching.
"He's a hard worker," says Staff Sgt. Mark Hennigar. "Max is one other tool we can use in our police work, both in a public relations sense and in drug enforcement."
Menoche and his partner hooked up last year at a two-month training camp in Alberta. The California-born lab is trained to sniff out drugs and upon discovering a stash, sit at attention, wide-eyed, breathing rapidly. Menoche retrieves the drugs, while Max waits for a scratch behind the ears and his coveted black cone.
"He loves that reward," Menoche says.
Louise Harding's Grade 2 class at Nakasuk school in Iqaluit met the crime-fighting duo earlier this year. The in-class demonstration included step by step drug search with real drugs.
"The kids really enjoyed it. Andre showed this was a working dog but still a playful dog," Harding said.
Plans are under way to visit schools throughout Nunavut.
If Max was shot or injured in the line of duty, Menoche is trained in dog CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and dog first aid.
Various logistical and personal delays have prevented his first big bust. However, Menoche says the dog is "operational."
"We have a drug problem in Iqaluit and in the communities. Our job is to get as much drugs before they hit the street," Menoche says.
"He's not just a partner. I'm always looking out for him."
