Seeing Things In A New Light: Police Dogs

If someone said Police dog, odds are you would picture a powerful and highly trained German Sheppard.  If someone said Search dog, you are likely to picture a long-eared, big nosed Bloodhound.  And if someone said Rescue dog, you might picture a hardy Saint Bernard (complete with a small brandy cask around its neck) or a dedicated and comforting Golden Retriever.

But if someone said Police Search and Rescue dog would you picture this dog?

In what maybe a first for Japan and the world, Momo (Peach) a diminutive, 7-year-old, long-haired, 6.6 pound Chihuahua, has passed exams to become a contract police dog in the western Japanese prefecture of Nara. From TVNZ:

The brown-and-white, perky Momo was one of 32 successful candidates out of 70 dogs, passing a search and rescue test by finding a person in five minutes after merely sniffing their cap. [snip]

Momo will be used for rescue operations in case of disasters such as earthquakes, in the hope that she may be able to squeeze her tiny frame into places too narrow for more usual rescue dogs, which tend to be German Shepherds.

I’d say Momo has the look of a dog who is seriously determined to get the job done.  Go Momo!

May all your missions be successful
and may you always come home safe!!