Police K-9s Trained To Detect COVID-19: Bristol County Sheriff

BRISTOL COUNTY, MA — Police K-9s have long been used to detect dangerous drugs, guns and explosives — and now they can also detect COVID-19, according to the Bristol County Sheriff's Office.

The department on Thursday became the first law enforcement organization in the United States to have police dogs trained to detect the virus, the sheriff's office announced.

"Bristol County and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts have come so far since the pandemic started last year," said Bristol County Sheriff Thomas Hodgson. "Today, festivals are happening, restaurants are full, and concert venues are packed. We've made so much progress, and our new COVID-19 detection program is one way the people of Bristol County can stay ahead of the curve."

Similar to drugs and weapons, researchers say COVID-19 has a unique odor. The program was developed by Florida International University’s International Forensic Research Institute. University researchers discovered K-9s could detect COVID-19 after adapting a program, where dogs used smell to find fungus in crops. The school also uses dogs to detect the coronavirus on its Florida campus.

"This is all science," said Capt. Paul Douglas, captain of the Bristol County Sheriff's office. "This program was developed by professors, doctors and scientists at FIU, and we couldn’t be more proud or excited to execute it here in Bristol County."

Two K-9 units are trained in COVID-19 detection: Capt. Douglas and his partner Huntah, and Officer Theodore Santos and his K-9 Duke.

FIU officials provided the department with masks worn by patients who contracted the coronavirus. Researchers used an ultraviolet system on the mask to kill the contagious portions of the virus, while leaving its odor. This makes the masks safe for training police dogs and their handlers.

Sheriff office officials said they're working with the New Bedford Fire Department and local EMS providers to get more used masks for future training.

Officials said the program also makes it possible for police dogs to detect advanced COVID-19 variants, like the Delta variant. Though officials cautioned the program isn't a substitution for a coronavirus test.

"It's best to think of it as a decontamination tool," Douglas said. "The dogs can detect the COVID odor on a counter or table if it was recently touched by a COVID-positive individual, or even detect the odor on a tissue used by someone with COVID."

The COVID-19 detecting K-9s are available to schools, town buildings, non-profits, nursing homes, councils on aging, public safety facilities, medical facilities and more across Bristol County. Anyone interested should send a request letter to Sheriff Thomas Hodgson, 400 Faunce Corner Road, Dartmouth, Ma 02747. Public safety organizations seeking an urgent COVID sweep can contact Douglas at pauldouglas@bcso-ma.org or Superintendent Steven Souza at stevensouza@bcso-ma.org.