| CBP canine nominated for "Paws to Recognize Award- A Salute to Canine World Heroes"
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Narcotic detector dog "Crazy Joe" of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is the national winner of the Paws to Recognize award. Paws to Recognize is an international program that recognizes the important contributions of professional service dogs. Crazy Joe, a male yellow Labrador Retriever, was selected because of his many narcotic seizures and contributions to the education of children and because he, like many of our canines, had humble but promising roots-CBP found him at a public animal shelter.The CBP canine enforcement program is aimed at combating terrorism and enforcing our nation's laws and Joe is an integral part of our team. He might be named Crazy, but he's crazy like a fox.
-Commissioner Robert C. Bonner |
Crazy Joe started his career with the U.S. Customs Service, now CBP, in October 1998. Canine Enforcement Officer (CEO) David Snyder, Crazy Joe's first partner, worked with the Lab at Dulles International Airport in Va. While assisting DEA agents at Dulles, Crazy Joe was credited with the following seizures:
- 17 lbs. of marijuana wrapped in cellophane and black pepper and concealed in a cardboard box
- 531 grams of crack cocaine and 54 grams of marijuana found in a closet wall of a residence
- 683 grams of crack cocaine and 199 grams of marijuana found in two separate vehicles
On March 2001, Crazy Joe returned to the Canine Enforcement Training Center to hold the coveted position of "demo" dog. Crazy Joe participated in numerous demonstrations throughout the Washington, D.C., metro area, spreading the message to children about the dangers of narcotics. | | Photo Credit: Bill Anthony |
| CEO Cindy Grob with Crazy Joe, the national winner of the Paws to Recognize award.
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In January 2002, Crazy Joe and CEO Cindy Grob, his new handler, were assigned to John F. Kennedy International Airport in N.Y., where they made a number of narcotics seizures, including:
- 2,854 grams of cocaine concealed in a false bottom suitcase. During a controlled delivery of the narcotics five people were arrested
- 1,054 grams of cocaine found in the belly of an aircraft
- 1,790 grams of heroin concealed in a false bottom suitcase, a seizure which led to the discovery of a passenger who swallowed 76 pellets of heroin totaling 590 grams
- More than 1,238 grams of heroin found in jacket linings. A search of the jackets' owner revealed 204.4 grams of heroin concealed in a belt, and 306 more grams hidden in the passenger's shoes
- 17.52 lbs. of cocaine secreted in three cans of cheese which were in turn concealed in a false bottom suitcase
Smugglers have frequently attempted to conceal the odor of narcotics from Crazy Joe. In spite of these attempts, Crazy Joe has successfully "sniffed through" the odor of hot peppers, mothballs, duct tape, molasses, cellophane, and black pepper-proving he is definitely "TOP DOG" when it comes to discovering narcotics.| The Paws to Recognize program was created by Pedigree Food for Dogs in partnership with Wal-Mart, to honor the valuable contributions that some 15,000 service dogs across the country make each day in their local communities.From May 1 to July 15, Americans across the country were invited to vote for one of six outstanding service canines to represent the United States at the international Paws to Recognize tribute held on August 21 at the Humane Society of the United States headquarters in Washington, D.C. At the international salute, the national Canine World Heroes-all award winners-will have their paw prints enshrined in cement to create a "Canine World Heroes Walk of Fame." |
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