Samson sniffs his last drugs, bids prison a fond farewell
By: Geoff Kirbyson
Enlarge Image
Both Chris McLauchlan and Samson are leaving their drug-finding duties at Stony Mountain Institution. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
Kim Karish puts Rainy to work on her first day on the job. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
After eight years of unknowingly playing one of the most important games of hide and seek in Manitoba, Samson is retiring.
The 10-year-old Labrador retriever put in his last day on the job at Stony Mountain Institution on Friday and turned over his "detector dog" duties to Rainy, a female Nova Scotia ducktolling retriever nine years his junior.
Since 2001, Samson has put his nose to the grindstone in helping make 85 drug seizures in and around the jail's grounds. On the inside, the value of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs he detected in the mail, vehicles or in the pockets of inmates or visitors had an estimated worth of nearly $250,000.
Chris McLauchlan, the outgoing detector dog handler at Stony Mountain who worked alongside Samson for every shift, said detector dogs are trained to search out particular scents. When they find one, in a bag for example, they sit down beside it and look at their handler, who then showers them with praise and gives them their favourite toy.
"It's a game to them, a really fun game of hide and seek. They're performing a great service," said McLauchlan, who is moving to another department and turning the handler reins over to Kim Karish.
He said Samson is being adopted by the family of a fellow employee. McLauchlan would have adopted the very active and friendly dog himself, but he said he wouldn't have been able to give him the attention he deserves.
"I want what's best for him. Samson is going to enjoy his retirement," he said.
Samson almost didn't get a chance to have a job at all, let alone be recognized for a distinguished career. McLauchlan said Samson was a rescue dog who had been given up for adoption after tearing apart his previous owner's home.
"He was on his third strike. He was going to be euthanized," he said.
McLauchlan said detector dogs have traditionally been Labrador retrievers, but due to rising demand from po lice services across the country, other "scent-hunting" breeds, such as spaniels, pointers and other retrievers are being called into service.
By: Geoff Kirbyson
Enlarge Image
Both Chris McLauchlan and Samson are leaving their drug-finding duties at Stony Mountain Institution. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
Kim Karish puts Rainy to work on her first day on the job. (MIKE DEAL / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS)
After eight years of unknowingly playing one of the most important games of hide and seek in Manitoba, Samson is retiring.
The 10-year-old Labrador retriever put in his last day on the job at Stony Mountain Institution on Friday and turned over his "detector dog" duties to Rainy, a female Nova Scotia ducktolling retriever nine years his junior.
Since 2001, Samson has put his nose to the grindstone in helping make 85 drug seizures in and around the jail's grounds. On the inside, the value of marijuana, cocaine, heroin and other drugs he detected in the mail, vehicles or in the pockets of inmates or visitors had an estimated worth of nearly $250,000.
Chris McLauchlan, the outgoing detector dog handler at Stony Mountain who worked alongside Samson for every shift, said detector dogs are trained to search out particular scents. When they find one, in a bag for example, they sit down beside it and look at their handler, who then showers them with praise and gives them their favourite toy.
"It's a game to them, a really fun game of hide and seek. They're performing a great service," said McLauchlan, who is moving to another department and turning the handler reins over to Kim Karish.
He said Samson is being adopted by the family of a fellow employee. McLauchlan would have adopted the very active and friendly dog himself, but he said he wouldn't have been able to give him the attention he deserves.
"I want what's best for him. Samson is going to enjoy his retirement," he said.
Samson almost didn't get a chance to have a job at all, let alone be recognized for a distinguished career. McLauchlan said Samson was a rescue dog who had been given up for adoption after tearing apart his previous owner's home.
"He was on his third strike. He was going to be euthanized," he said.
McLauchlan said detector dogs have traditionally been Labrador retrievers, but due to rising demand from po lice services across the country, other "scent-hunting" breeds, such as spaniels, pointers and other retrievers are being called into service.
