A rescue dog in the care of the SPCA has joined the New Zealand Customs Department based at Auckland International Airport.
Vegas was adopted from SPCA as a young puppy, but was returned to the organisation’s Kerikeri Centre as she was described as “hard work” and wasn’t getting on well with two other dogs in the home.
An SPCA Canine Attendant who had previously worked as a Drug Dog Handler at NZ Customs identified her as a candidate for work as an EDD (Explosive Detector Dog)
She had been involved in recruiting working dogs for her department, and sensed that Vegas’ high energy was likely due to Vegas’s high intelligence, and her need for lots of mental and physical exercise.
The traits that might make a life as an EDD (Explosive Detector Dog) the perfect fit.
Jo did an assessment with Vegas and sent videos to an old colleague in Aviation Security (AvSec).
With a tentative thumbs up, Jo and Vegas drove down to Whangarei so Vegas could be assessed further.
According to Jo, Vegas “performed amazingly” at her second assessment – so much so that the AvSec handler took her back to Auckland that afternoon.
Vegas was in for several weeks of assessment before she could be officially accepted, but Jo was “pretty confident” that the result would be a good one.
According to her handler after her first day, Vegas was a “natural” in the work, and she continued to excel throughout her assessment.
Vegas has been officially adopted by the AvSec team and is now in the process of being paired with a new handler for her training as an Explosive Detector Dog.
In the meantime her current trainer said she is a popular member of the team.
“Every handler is fighting over her – she’s that good!,” they said.
“She’s the happiest girl, and it’s exciting to be a part of her development because she’s teaching me as much as I’m teaching her.”
And with the new job, comes a new home.
“After each shift, she’ll go home with her handler, experiencing the love and affection of a forever home after a satisfying day of work.”
