Four new dog/handler teams are joining the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources K9 Unit after earning their detection certification in May, doubling the number of DNR dog/handler teams working throughout Minnesota.
According to the Minnesota DNR, the K9 Unit help when it comes to detecting aquatic invasive species, locating lost people, detecting possible game and fish violations, and finding evidence during investigations.
"These four new dogs will be joining the other four dog teams that we have in the field," said Phil Mohs, the Special Operations Manager and K9 Unit Supervisor with the Minnesota DNR. "Dogs are just another tool to help us protect natural resources."
The dogs, Mohs said, come to the DNR when they are about a year old and are partnered with a handler. They then go through about three months of training.
"They're basically taught to search for an item, respond to that odor, and when they respond they receive a reward. When they go out in the field, they're out there searching in hopes they find that odor. Their reward is oftentimes a ball."
Mohs has been the K9 Unit leader for the past five years. The Minnesota DNR has used dogs since the late 90s. The unit expanded to five dogs in 2015 and now has eight, the most in the department's history.
K9 units also assist when it comes to detecting firearms, often used by poachers.
"When they realize they might be caught, we've seen when they try to hide their firearm," Mohs said. "The dogs are able to come in and locate the firearm or shell casing. That wraps up the case with a key piece of evidence and oftentimes we wouldn't be able to locate it without the dogs."
The four newly certified teams will be stationed in Two Harbors, Worthington, Rochester, and Detroit Lakes.