Lucky and Flo sit next to the shipment boxes containing pirated optical discs after the "Operation Double Trouble" demonstration at the main air cargo complex in Sepang, Malaysia, in this March 13, 2007, file photo. Lucky and Flo, the two sniffer dogs that cramped Malaysia's DVD pirates by ferreting out millions of illegal discs, will get a hero's farewell when their six-month assignment ends next week, an official said. (AP Photo/Andy Wong, FILE)

Malaysian award for DVD sniffing dogs
8/16/2007
By JULIA ZAPPEI
Associated Press Writer

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) – Two American sniffer dogs who found millions of pirated DVDs while on loan to Malaysian authorities will receive medals of honor when their six-month assignment ends next week, an official said Thursday.

Black Labradors Lucky and Flo will be celebrated at an awards ceremony Monday before they return home to New York, said Nor Hayati Yahaya, the Motion Picture Association's manager for Malaysia.

Lucky and Flo – on loan from the U.S.-based association – have helped uncover pirated DVDs and equipment worth $6 million since they came to Malaysia in March, Nor Hayati said. The cases led to 26 arrests.

She said that the two female dogs seized 2 million of the 2.7 million discs seized this year.

The dogs are trained to sniff chemicals in the discs. They cannot distinguish between pirated and legal discs, but that part of the job is easily done by enforcement officers once the dogs have unearthed the caches. In at least one instance, the dogs were able to uncover secret rooms behind a false wall.

Nor Hayati said the dogs have raised awareness about movie piracy because the local media reported on almost every raid they were involved in, she said.

The Motion Picture Association and Malaysia's Domestic Trade Ministry are selecting two new dogs to be trained in Ireland by the same trainer who taught Lucky and Flo.

Nor Hayati said the dogs could arrive in Malaysia this year to form the country's first permanent canine unit to fight movie piracy.

Illegal movie disc production is a big problem in Malaysia, where fake DVDs are easily available. According to the Malaysian government, 5 million discs were seized in more than 2,000 raids nationwide last year.

© 2007 Associated Press

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Mar 1, 2007 8:40 am US/Central- (CBS) SAN ANTONIO: A new dog out on patrol out at Denver International Airport was matched up with the Denver Police Department through a special dog breeding and training program run by the Transportation Security Administration.

"Seek … Up … Good Boy, Xzylo!"

At Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, a thin golden dog named Xzylo makes quick work of the cargo area. With only a few commands from his handler, he finds a bomb buried in a bin of mail bags.

Even though this area looks like it could be part of any airport cargo area, it is, in fact, a training area for dogs like Xzylo, reports Jim Benemann of CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security has looked for every possible way to make air travel and mass transit safer in this country. As a part of that effort, they have come up with four legged solutions like Xzylo.

Like a lot of efficient machines, Xzylo is a hybrid. His father was a Vizsla imported from Europe. His mother was a Labrador Retriever. Put them together and you have a Vizslador.

"These dogs are magnificent," observes Dave Kontny, director of the Transportation Security Administration National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program. "They remind us of a forensic laboratory. They come in, they sniff the air, and they give you an indication that they smell explosives in a matter of seconds."

Soon after 9/11, the TSA started breeding some of the best bomb sniffing Labradors. They also imported some Vizslas, a breed well known in Hungary for its hunting abilities. Then, TSA breeders had a eureka moment. Why not take the incredible nose of a Vizsla and combine it with qualities that come naturally for Labradors?

"The labradors have much higher powers for wanting that toy they get when they actually find explosives," said Scott Thomas, program manager of the National Explosive Detection Canine Team Puppy Program. "They like to retrieve the toy, pick it up and carry it around."

The Vizsladors tend to have the leaner body and longer ears of the Vizsla. They could be yellow or black, depending on the color of the Labrador side. But, most important, when you combine the two breeds, you get a dog who will work tirelessly sniffing for explosives — just for a chance to chase a rubber toy.

"I wish I could pay our employees in rubber!" laughs Kontny.

* * *

At Lackland, the Vizslador puppies start their lives living with foster families in the San Antonio area for one year. Then they return to Lackland for preschool, where a TSA trainer puts them through their paces. They learn to find the explosive device, sit to indicate a positive finding and then they get the rubber toy.

Next the Vizsladors get matched with a handler who comes from law enforcement agencies all over the country. At this point, the dog might know what to do. But the handler will spend eight weeks at Lackland learning how to handle the dog.

The bulk of the bomb sniffers will continue to be German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers.

* * *

Urban, A young yellow lab, is the new dog on patrol out at Denver International Airport. Late last year, she was matched with her handler Dan Castro, from the Denver Police Department, at the Lackland training program.

"I love her and I respect her," says Castro. "She is just a great worker."

But no matter their bloodline, all TSA-bred dogs have one thing in common. They are named after victims of 9/11.

"We wanted to remind ourselves of that tragedy every day," says Thomas. "It's real easy to be in there having fun with puppies. But we never want to forget the very serious nature of the work we do."

So the names like Xzylo and Urban echo a tragic day in our past. But in the future, travelers will be safer because of man's best friend - whether purebred or hybrid.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

 

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