US sheriff donates sniffer dog to CI customs

| 18/12/2014

(CNS): The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office in Arizona State has donated a top crime fighting seven-year-old Beagle mix to the Cayman Islands Customs K-9 Unit to help with the detection of illegal narcotics. Blaze arrived on Saturday 13 December with K-9 Officer Deputy Sheriff Joe McLemore and Ioana Oancea from Arizona, who handed over the energetic dog in a short ceremony at Customs Headquarters, increasing the number of dogs in the unit to five. The dog, which has a track record sniffing out heroin, marijuana, cocaine and methamphetamines with ease, will work both the cruise port and the airport on Grand Cayman with his new handler, Tate McFarlane.

Malachi Powery, the supervisor of the K-9 Unit, started the ball rolling to get Blaze when he was on holiday in Arizona and contacted his counterpart officer, Mike Milseps, in the sheriff’s office, with whom he had attended a bloodhound training course. The transfer had been in the works since June of this year.

Thanking County Sheriff Joe Arpaio and the Deputy Sheriff for the donation, Collector of Customs Samantha Bennett handed over plaques to both the Arizona officers who brought the dog, telling them, “We are delighted that Blaze is here and adding to our K-9 detection capabilities.”  

McLemore said his office would next attempt to donate a bloodhound.

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  1. Anonymous says:

    At least they have gotten another REAL dog, coming into the airport from abroad I am used to seeing the officers with their Labradors but now we are greeted with a young lady pulling around a Chihuahua, What a joke!!! I can only imagine what that tourist must think.

  2. Anonymous says:

    They should name the dog driftwood, poor dog is going to have to live with stupid dogs for the rest of its life. That is animal abuse hopefully the poorthing gets rolled over in a year afterall 1 dog year is seven human years

    Damm expat dog took my dogs job

    • Anonymous says:

      DWL!!!

      This is by far the best comment for ending 2014! Wish I could have given you an award.

  3. AnonymousDog Pound says:

    Wow what ever happen to our beloved caretaker mother??? Too busy trying to take away and siphon off all we got here i guess eh Pitbull??? Sucka's

  4. Anonymous says:

    Thank you, Sheriff Joe, Deputy Sheriffs and Arizona. We are grateful.

  5. Anonymous says:

    Do regular dogs think 'oh shit it's the cops' when they see police dogs?

  6. RSPCAY says:

    Please remember to feed and water them and give them their heartworm meds.

  7. Anonymous says:

    What we need is a US sniffer Dog to donate a sheriff

  8. Anonymous says:

    Lets hope they take good care of this dog

  9. Knot S Smart says:

    May I ask – what is the Customs Tariff Code for these dogs…

  10. Anonymous says:

    Seven years old??? That is about when they get ready to retire them.  Total now is 5???? Where are the other 4, never see them

    • Anonymous says:

      They're running around west bay chasing bikes. 

    • Anonymous says:

      The other 4 have been used for several years by Customs wherever a point of entry is for any type of humans or goods.

  11. Anonymous says:

    We are very lucky to get these specialized and highly trained animals.  Thank you Maricopa County!  Go get 'em!

  12. resident says:

    I do hope that CI Customs feed and take care the dog property as is part of our caymanian family now.

    • Anonymous says:

      I hope they are treated better than that.

    • Anonymous says:

      They haven't been taking care of their dogs in the past, why would they start now????

      • Anonymous says:

        I wonder where you are getting your piss poor information from, the Customs K9 Dogs are treated better than alot of human officers.