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Go fetch, Max Canadian Border Services Agency
showcases the search skills of canine unitDanielle Sachs Northern News Services Published Thursday, Aug 23, 2012
Max, the almost three-year-old dog working with Canadian Border Services Agency, does. Trained to detect illegal substances, the dog works with his handler, Connie Dennison. While normally stationed in Winnipeg, Dennison brought Max to the Midnight Sun Complex on Tuesday to show what he is capable of finding. Border Services officer Bill Grant invited the canine unit to the Midnight Sun Complex so the community could see its skills and abilities. Grant is in his fourth year working in Inuvik and said the region is not as quiet as some would think. The coming week promises to be busy as the exclusive cruise ship The World, passes by Tuktoyaktuk. "These are people who have their permanent residence on the ship," said Grant. "It can be $15 million for a cabin and $20,000 a month in condo fees." Dennison led Max around the arena, searching pylons, hockey equipment and old pizza boxes. More than a dozen people watched as Max sat in front of one of the pylons and waited for Dennison to remove the contraband – a bag scented like marijuana. "Max is a passive dog," said Dennison. "When he finds something, he'll sit and sniff at it. The dogs used to be active where they would bark and scratch at whatever they found, but if it's on a person, that just doesn't work." Dennison has been a dog handler for 12 years, Max is her third dog and she's been working with him for three months. "There's a myth that if you feed your dog drugs, they'll be addicted and that's how they find it," said Dennison. "That's not true at all. If Max accidentally swallows something, he needs to go to the vet right away." Sandy Gordon brought her son to see the presentation. "William is one-and-a-half and he just loves dogs," she said. For a weeknight, Grant said the turnout was surprisingly good. "I think all we did was put a brief note on Facebook," he said.
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