Florida Shelter Dog Trained to Sniff Out Child Porn
A former shelter dog is now fighting crime and stopping child predators in Manatee County, FL. Sheriff’s deputies added a shelter dog named Gia to their K-9 unit.
Shelter dog GIA is now an electronics finding K-9 for the Manatee County (FL) Sheriff's Office. (Photo: Bishop Animal Shelter)
A former shelter dog is now fighting crime and stopping child predators in Manatee County, FL. Sheriff’s deputies added a shelter dog named Gia to their K-9 unit.
She’s trained to find hidden computer hard drives, flash drives and SD cards that may contain child porn. Pedophiles often stash away these incriminating devices, and Gia’s one of a handful of dogs in the entire world that’s trained to find them, WFLA TV reports.
“She’s like using a flashlight in a dark room. Because you just want that extra tool to kind of help you,” Detective Joni Zimmermann said.
Manatee County deputies say Gia’s background makes her one of a kind. Last summer, detectives decided to adopt their new deputy to save money and help the local pet population. Officials felt confident they could train her.
Gia was a stray when she was dropped off at the Bishop Animal Shelter.
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