Drug-sniffing dog business helps addicts make good choices

Newsrooms across the commonwealth have spent years documenting the opioid crisis in their own communities. But now, in the special project State of Emergency: Searching for Solutions to Pennsylvania’s Opioids Crisis, we are marshalling resources to spotlight what Pennsylvanians are doing to try to reverse the soaring number of overdose deaths.

WITF is releasing more than 60 stories, videos and photos throughout July. This week, you will find stories about education, prevention and community support.

 

As Hope Rescue Mission was gearing up to provide winter shelter for the homeless, it knew it had to address the drug sharing that sometimes goes on within its walls.

The Reading mission could have called police, but its leadership didn’t want to create a pipeline from the shelter to prison.

Enter Fred Nell and his drug sniffing dog Sadie. The Lebanon County man said he believes his business is the only one of its kind in Pennsylvania.

By randomly checking shelter residents, Sadie sends a message that drugs won’t be tolerated – and the amount of drugs has drastically decreased, pastor and program director Steve Olivo said.

Sadie had spotted drugs regularly during sweeps of the shelter, but now rarely has occasion to do so.

By increasing the likelihood that users will be caught, it also helps people struggling with addiction make better decisions, Nell said.

“In the beginning, I didn’t like you. I just thought you were bad news, you were out to get me,” one 18-year-old at the shelter told Nell. But now, “every time I talk to you, I know you’re here to help me get through my recovery with narcotics.”

Canine entrepreneur

Drug Search Team and Next Day Outreach isn’t Nell’s first business involving his pets. He’s also known as Mr. Scoop for his dog waste-removal company “inspired” by his late dog, Teddy.

After Teddy died, Nell adopted Sadie, a rescue Labrador/German Shepherd mix that he soon discovered has a special talent. Sadie’s keen ability to spot illegal narcotics has fueled a business that performs drug searches at organizations like the rescue mission, drug rehabilitation centers and even private homes.

“It’s really not anything out of the ordinary to get a call from someone you’d least expect,” he said.

While police and some large security firms employ drug-sniffing dogs, Nell said he isn’t aware of any other small private business like his in Pennsylvania. He does 25-30 searches per month, and business is booming so much that Nell is considering training a second dog to keep pace with demand.

Hope Rescue Mission has been able to develop a drug-free environment to help struggling community members get back on their feet.

“It worked tremendously. You never beat it completely, but we have it under control right now,” Olivo said. “They’re not tempted every minute by a guy saying, ‘I’ve got this, I’ve got that, and if you want some, I’ve got it.’”

Certified to sniff

There is no training or certification in Pennsylvania for private vendors with drug-sniffing dogs, according to State Police spokesman Ryan Sarkowski. Even nationally, industry standards are “loosy-goosey,” said Terry Ulrich of the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association, which provides what he considers one of the best certifications.

Still, Tom Gross, executive director of the Pennsylvania Chiefs of Police Association, said you would probably want to ensure a dog and dog-handler have some certification.

“In my own experience, I’ve seen drug-detection dogs that were terrible,” he said.

Sadie and Nell were certified in Missouri at the LaFollette K-9 Training Center, he said. In order to be certified, a dog must successfully find cocaine and another narcotic such as heroin within a time limit and avoid any false positives.

Nell also has commercial liability and health insurance policies for Sadie, he said.

Businesses pay a minimum of $150 for a drug search from Sadie and Nell, more if they have a lengthy commute. Nell said he’s willing to negotiate costs with people with family members wrapped up in the opioid epidemic who don’t know where to turn.

“You never say no to someone who can’t afford it, because then you’re doing it for the wrong reasons,” he said. “Knowing the opioid crisis right now, and how bad it is, I’m here to help people and not to make it difficult on them.”

“We’re not trying to get you in trouble, we’re trying to get you to the next day of recovery,” Nell said.