WALDORF, MARYLAND – Eno is a three-year-old German shepherd, half of a Charles County sheriff’s Dept. K-9 unit with his human partner, Pfc. Claude Clevenger. On Nov. 19, the pair assisted in successfully tracking a man suspected of breaking into a Waldorf, Md. home, stealing electronics and jewelry valued at $950, as reported in washingtonpost.com.
The suspect fled in an SUV with an accomplice, abandoned the vehicle and continued to flee on foot in the Farmington Woods area, says somdnews.com. With officers from neighboring department, Eno and Clevenger tracked the man for almost a mile over a 40-minute period through rough terrain, ultimately finding him hiding under a deck.
Eno has been with the Dept. 14 months and is part of a K-9 staff of 12 dogs. He’s trained to detect narcotics as well as alleged burglars.
The dogs detect the smell of “crushed vegetation” and “human odor” rather than a “single person’s scent”, said head trainer for the county’s K-9 unit, William Cotton. The pursuit would’ve been difficult without the dogs. “Not unless you have somebody who is extraordinary at man-tracking,” Cotton stated. Cotton described Eno to washingtonpost.com as “…a very stable, social dog” and called his performance on Nov. 19 “a notable accomplishment”.
The two men were both charged with burglary and theft.
November 19th may have been ordinary for Eno, however for crime victims, police dogs help provide a feeling of safety and sometimes even help get their property returned.
so awesome. dogs rock!! 🙂