There has never a more fitting time for two Denver Sheriff’s Department dogs to make the first drug bust of their careers.
Thursday is National Puppy Day, and the newest K-9 teammates Koda and Kuko celebrated it by sniffing out more than five and a half pounds of marijuana and some methamphetamine from a seized car in the city's impound lot.
The sheriff's department routinely uses drug dogs to check impounded cars to make sure they're clean for when they get auctioned off each month. It's totally legal as impounded vehicles belong to the city until they're picked up.
“[Koda and Kuko] are incredibly good and what we've just seen with this find is just how good they are,” Denver Sheriff’s Department spokesman Simon Crittle said.
Deputies say the doggy duo were intrigued by an SUV in the city’s impound lot when they were doing a routine sniff.
Kuko hit on it first and then Koda.
When deputies took over, they found the drugs stashed behind the front fire and front passenger side seat.
“The dogs typically find drugs in [the impound lot] every week so it's not unusual,” Crittle added. “What's unusual about this find is it's just so large. A very large amount of marijuana.”
Right now there are no suspects and the department says they're not sure what the SUV was impounded for, but the two K-9s are getting kudos nonetheless.
“They do a terrific job and we're very pleased to have them,” Crittle said.
Kuko and Koda, both Malinois, and a German Shepherd named Bolo were added to the K9 unit at the sheriff's office just last year. Their addition doubled the unit from three to six dogs.
To handle the dogs, the department selected three officers from within the department – chosen from a large pool of applicants. The dogs live with their handlers as pets, transforming into much-loved City workers each day.
The department says the dogs are invaluable as deputies are not allowed to strip search people taken into the jail -- the only way they can is if their search dogs sense something when a suspect is brought in.
