TAMPA – How would you feel about the same type of specially-trained dogs the police use to sniff out drugs going through your home?
A Tampa-based company has a new mobile K-9 unit that’ll do it, and it could be a real game-changer for parents or businesses who suspect something’s up.
http://liarcatchers.com/drugdogsweeps.html
Think about it, have you ever suspected your kids might be doing drugs? Are they hiding them somewhere in your house? Or what about your co-workers using drugs right there at the office?
Well, now you can ask “Tina,” a German Shepherd-for-hire, that can tell you in about two sniffs what’s going on.
She has the nose that knows drugs, plus a dogged determination. And if there are drugs hidden in your home or office, Tina is going to find them.
We watched her find a stash of synthetic meth, hidden away inside the gas tank of an SUV within minutes.
“They’re called pseudo-scents, they’re made in chemical labs,” said Chris Corpora, who is Tina’s trainer and right-hand man. “Heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, ecstasy, and marijuana, and she can, because these are synthetic, she can also pick-up K-2 and Spice.”
Even in the garage among the tools and all sorts of chemical smells, these dogs can find drugs in almost any situation.
In a bedroom, she found drugs behind a narrow spot in the headboard. And if you’ve been exposed to drugs, Tina will know.
“If you’re out touching the, let’s say, marijuana, or meth, or heroin, let’s say you don’t even use it, but you come home and you’ve got it on your hands, and you go to touch your laptop, right? It’s there,” said USA Mobile Drug Testing CEO Joseph Strom, who said dogs like Tina can give parents peace of mind.
“We’re a little overprotective today and we should be,” he said. “Because it’s really getting out of line.”
What would you do? It can be tough enough for parents to keep a tight reign on their kids, but at the same time, let them know they trust them to do the right thing. So, what message does it send then, when Tina comes calling?
“We all trust our children, and the fact that we love them dearly,” said Strom. “And today it’s a little uncontrollable with all the friends and trying this and trying that and the Twitters and the Facebook and what to keep up with, it gets crazy out there after while!”
The cost to hire Tina varies, depending on the size of the space you want the dogs to search. They also have an hourly rate.
And the test results are always confidential and given only to the clients, who then can take appropriate action.
The company can also help offices set-up a drug-free workplace, if Tina discovers drugs on the premises