Drug Sniffer Dog Dies Of Overdose

[matcom]

<snip>

LONDON (Reuters) - A police sniffer dog died of a suspected overdose while out hunting for drugs, British police said on Monday.

Todd, a 7-year-old Springer spaniel, had been looking for drugs in a field and car in Preston, northern England, when his handler noticed he was looking unwell.

He was taken to a vet and then rushed to an animal intensive care unit at Liverpool University, displaying symptoms of ingesting amphetamines, a Lancashire police spokeswoman said.

He died shortly afterwards.

The death was said to have devastated Todd's handler, Police Constable Roger Moore, his wife and two young children.

"He (Todd) lived with them and they would all go for walks with him -- he was their dog," Sergeant Peter Crane of Preston's dog unit told the Daily Mirror.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=573&ncid=573&e=3&u=/nm/20040802/od_nm/dog_dc

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

1. Damn. A Springer.

One of the sweetest dogs on earth. A dog born to be a Belly Slut and spend its happiest moments getting its belly rubbed, with all four in the air.

Ain't right. Just ain't right.

[hlthe2b]

2. Ingesting? That seems unusual to me...

I'd like to know whether the necropsy confirms that or whether this was an inhalant overdose. I would think that drug dogs would be trained not to ingest suspect material, since poison baiting within a shipment would seem a likely ploy of drug smugglers...

Sadly, mankind's most loyal animal friends often pay the cost for that loyalty. I only hope there is a true "doggie heaven" awaiting.

[GOPisEvil]

3. Police Constable Roger Moore?

I wondered what he was up to after not doing Bond movies anymore.

Sad about the drug dog though. :-(