Dog owners no longer able to care for their spaniel, pointer or labrador are being urged to contact Corrections.
National Crime Prevention Manager Tony Coyle would like owners of all three breeds to call the Department before contacting their vet or the pound.
"We’re always on the lookout for dogs with potential to be trained and we know hunting and retrieving breeds are ideal," Mr Coyle says.
"Corrections’ need for good drug dogs will be ongoing and if that demand can be met with dogs no longer wanted by their owners, all the better."
Mr Coyle says demand for specialist drug, firearm and bomb detection dogs has risen dramatically since 9/11.
The New Zealand Police, New Zealand Customs, Aviation Security Services, MAF and Corrections are some of many agencies now using dogs to detect risks to the community.
"If I think a dog may not be ideal for detecting drugs I may well refer it to one of these agencies," Mr Coyle says. "We’re all aware of each others needs and as much as we can, we try to help each other out."
Three of Corrections 12 drug dogs came from the Rotorua Pound – OD (Waikeria Prison) who had cost his original owners so much money in "wandering" fines they asked the pound to try and re-house him; Roxy (Wanganui Prison) who it’s believed ended up in the pound for similar reasons and Flash, now detecting drugs at the newly opened Spring Hills Corrections Facility.
Mr Coyle says a ranger working at the Rotorua Pound is highly skilled in selecting dogs suitable for specialist training.
Anyone faced with a similar dilemma to OD and Roxy’s owners are asked to contact the dog handler at their local prison.
For further information contact the Communications Services Desk: