Working Dogs- A Detective’s Best Friend by Jessice Lee

On February 27^th I saw two officers with two dogs walking through the halls outside the student cafeteria. As I followed them, Ms. Villani, the instructor for the Syracuse University Project Advance Forensic Science Program at Bronx Science and Director of the Crime Lab at Bronx Science and some of the students in her college-level Forensic Sciences classes explained that the two detectives, Paul Makuc and John M. Sawyer and their canine companions, Lily and Katie, were part of an arson investigation team based at the Connecticut Crime Lab. They were visiting Bronx Science to share their experiences and expertise in the area of arson investigations to help the students and staff at Bronx Science learn how: canines and humans work together at arson investigations, determine the point of origin of the suspicious fire, locate and identify the accelerant or accelerants used in the arson fire, and help investigators make the connection between a particular suspect or suspects and a suspicious fire.

I was impressed with how beautiful, obedient and gentle both dogs were and how well they got along with everyone. Lily, a white Labrador was the younger of the two canines. Officer John Sawyer owns and trains Lily both at home and on the job. Katie, the black Labrador is eight years old and is close to retiring. I was also impressed by how much the detectives cared for their canines and how much the canines cared for the detectives.

Seeing both Lily and Katie brought back memories of when my older brother and I took our family cat, Millie, to the Animal Hospital Center, on 63^rd Street, just a few days after the 911 disaster of the twin towers at World Trade Center in Manhattan. As we sat their waiting for Millie to see her vet, many working canines like Lily and Katie, hurt at the World Trade Center investigations were brought in to the hospital for immediate medical care. These dogs were given top priority. Some of these dogs were brought in bleeding from what looked to be severe cuts on their bodies. Some had very bad burns on their legs and paws. Some were so badly hurt that they weren’t even moving any more and had their eyes closed. These animals were immediately rushed into the examination rooms in the back of the hospital. We learned that these dogs had worked hard and very diligently to locate missing people and bodies from the rubble at the World Trade disaster. All precautions were taken to protect these canines from harm; but despite all these efforts, some of these very precious canines were very seriously hurt. Some of these very special animals also died.

Working dogs: help investigate fires, help police and detectives find drugs, help find missing people, help guide the blind, serve as loyal companions for the handicapped, elderly and sick; and protect stores, garages, buildings and homes. Where would we all be without these canine workers?