A dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 to 100,000 times greater than a human’s. This super powerful nose explains how “Rosco,” a 3-year-old electronic storage detection (ESD) K-9 Labrador Retriever, is helping to fight internet crimes against children.
Working in federal, state, and tribal task forces, he’s trained to smell and identify the distinctive odor of a chemical that manufacturers use on all electronic devices to prevent moisture and overheating. When the devices contain crimes of child exploitation, including child pornography and child trafficking, Rosco helps save children from additional abuse.
Lt. John Haning
Rosco partners with his owner-handler, Lieutenant John Haning, and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma to help convict child abusers and traffickers as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit. Rosco finds even the most miniature hidden cameras, cell phones, flash drives, and memory cards that investigators might miss.
Originally a service dog training flunk-out for chasing squirrels, Rosco has risen to the top as an ideal crime fighter dog. His nasal talent and comforting demeanor with everyone he encounters earned him the 2024 Award for Canine Excellence in the Uniformed Services K-9 category. Each year, the AKC Humane Fund awards five dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind in different categories: Service Dog, Search and Rescue Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Exemplary Companions, and Uniformed Service K-9s, like Rosco. Dogs in this category are full-time working K9s in city, county, state, or federal law enforcement, including the military, firefighting, customs and border control, and emergency services.
Lt. John Haning
Rosco joined the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 after Haning enrolled in a computer forensic battery recovery class. There, he learned that extracting and reconstructing data from the computer’s storage media is used in legal cases. After hearing how ESD dogs are adept at finding devices that investigators might miss, he realized that if his department had a dog, they could uncover more child trafficking criminals and victims. “It’s all about rescuing children from a lifelong pattern of being sexually abused and apprehending the pedophile to avoid repeat offending,” Haning says.
With all the search warrants and rise in cases, Haning is trying to let other agencies know how valuable an ESD K9 can be. “Since 2022, the number of missing children has increased from 36.2 million cyber tips to over 100.5 million,” Haning says. “That’s 300% more people getting on the internet to meet up with kids.”
Todd Jordan / Jordan Detection K9
Rosco also accompanies Haning when he gives presentations to community groups. Haning says people always want to know what the Labrador Retriever does during an investigation, which leads Haning to educate adults and children about safely using the internet.
The dog performs two more good deeds. If victims are present during a team search, Rosco spends time comforting the traumatized children. “They focus on him rather than on the situation, which helps to soothe them,” Haning says.
Lt. John Haning
Rosco accompanies Haning everywhere, including the office, prompting Haning to call Rosco the team’s “PTSD dog.” “Rosco wanders into everyone’s office, and if an investigator is working on a bad case, the dog seems to know who needs attention and leans up against the person,” Haning says.
After the Rogers Sheriff’s Office’s put in a request for a K9, OUR Rescue, a nonprofit anti-sex trafficking organization, donated Rosco to the ICAC unit. “To date, OUR Rescue has funded training for 105 ESD K9s in 36 states and eight international locations,” says Randy Golding, Deputy Director of North America Operations for OUR Rescue. They’ve placed ESD dogs with police departments, sheriff’s offices, Attorney General offices, and Departments of Public Safety.
Todd Jordan / Jordan Detection K9
Evidence is critical in rescuing children from predators. Without it, a child in danger may go unidentified. Pedophiles and predators often upload, share, and sell images of abuse, making it vital for law enforcement to search for all electronics in a suspect’s home thoroughly. More evidence can lead to longer sentences and harsher penalties for those exploiting children. Multiple counts of possession of child sexual abuse material can strengthen law enforcement’s case in court and help prove how dangerous the suspect is.
Missing even one piece of evidence can give a predator on parole access to vast amounts of illegal content and resume their criminal activity. Ensuring nothing is left behind is essential for the protection of these children. ESD K9s help take the burden off officers and secure justice for survivors. Rosco in particular has the distinction of being the first electronic storage detection dog in Oklahoma.
Lt. John Haning
When Haning’s unit receives a tip to investigate, the information isn’t always out in the open. “These devices are micro-sized and often the size of your fingernail,” he says. “It might take us 6 to 8 hours to clear out a room of everything we can see, such as computers or cameras, but Rosco can do it in 15 to 20 minutes.” Usually, they rely on Rosco as a secondary searcher to find the tiniest devices they may miss.
“Law enforcement teams work extremely hard to locate as much evidence as they can to help convict predators, but sometimes it’s nearly impossible to find hidden devices,” Golding says. “One of our sponsored ESD K9s and her handler discovered a USB storage device disguised as an Angry Bird toy.”
Lt. John Haning
When law enforcement suspects someone is guilty, they need proof. Here’s where Rosco’s scent training shines. Haning says a wall socket may look functioning but may have a camera behind it, which Rosco is able to identify. Or, if a ceiling tile conceals an electronic object, Roscoe will sit under the scent and stare at them without moving. That’s how they know he’s found something.
Another way the team knows Rosco has found something is when he breathes in and out quickly. “When he’s in search mode and trying to find the scent, it’s our job to pay attention to him, so we don’t miss his alert,” Haning says. The dog is looking for the device, but it’s the officer’s job if it’s part of the investigation.
When Rosco makes a find, he’s rewarded with a few pieces of food. Always hand-fed his meals, Rosco is food-driven to sniff out devices. Haning trains him twice a day when they’re not on a search. “I’ll mark a blank device as a training aid and bury it underground, set it on fire in the fireplace, or throw it in the water along the shore,” he says. “He always finds it.”
Lt. John Haning
Growing up, Haning had German Shepherd Dogs and never had Labrador Retrievers on his radar, but Rosco has earned his devotion. “His personality is chill, and he gravitates to anyone who can use some attention.” For fellow investigators and victims, Rosco provides comfort and, for a few moments, some relief from such horrific acts.
Lt. John Haning
With all the energy Rosco exudes on the job, Haning says it’s amazing how calm and clingy the Labrador Retriever can be around his family. When he’s not following his partner, Rosco likes tagging along with Haning’s wife, Arlynne, and sleeps with Haning’s daughter. “Laid-back, this 72-pound dog is great around the house and doesn’t bark or growl but always needs attention. His personality is perfect for our family.”
The post Labrador Retriever ‘Rosco’ Wins Uniformed Service K-9 Award for Canine Excellence appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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Working in federal, state, and tribal task forces, he’s trained to smell and identify the distinctive odor of a chemical that manufacturers use on all electronic devices to prevent moisture and overheating. When the devices contain crimes of child exploitation, including child pornography and child trafficking, Rosco helps save children from additional abuse.
Lt. John Haning
Rosco partners with his owner-handler, Lieutenant John Haning, and the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office in Oklahoma to help convict child abusers and traffickers as part of the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit. Rosco finds even the most miniature hidden cameras, cell phones, flash drives, and memory cards that investigators might miss.
Originally a service dog training flunk-out for chasing squirrels, Rosco has risen to the top as an ideal crime fighter dog. His nasal talent and comforting demeanor with everyone he encounters earned him the 2024 Award for Canine Excellence in the Uniformed Services K-9 category. Each year, the AKC Humane Fund awards five dogs who do extraordinary things in the service of humankind in different categories: Service Dog, Search and Rescue Dogs, Therapy Dogs, Exemplary Companions, and Uniformed Service K-9s, like Rosco. Dogs in this category are full-time working K9s in city, county, state, or federal law enforcement, including the military, firefighting, customs and border control, and emergency services.
Lt. John Haning
An ESD Dog Makes a Difference
Rosco joined the Rogers County Sheriff’s Office in 2023 after Haning enrolled in a computer forensic battery recovery class. There, he learned that extracting and reconstructing data from the computer’s storage media is used in legal cases. After hearing how ESD dogs are adept at finding devices that investigators might miss, he realized that if his department had a dog, they could uncover more child trafficking criminals and victims. “It’s all about rescuing children from a lifelong pattern of being sexually abused and apprehending the pedophile to avoid repeat offending,” Haning says.
With all the search warrants and rise in cases, Haning is trying to let other agencies know how valuable an ESD K9 can be. “Since 2022, the number of missing children has increased from 36.2 million cyber tips to over 100.5 million,” Haning says. “That’s 300% more people getting on the internet to meet up with kids.”
Todd Jordan / Jordan Detection K9
Rosco also accompanies Haning when he gives presentations to community groups. Haning says people always want to know what the Labrador Retriever does during an investigation, which leads Haning to educate adults and children about safely using the internet.
The dog performs two more good deeds. If victims are present during a team search, Rosco spends time comforting the traumatized children. “They focus on him rather than on the situation, which helps to soothe them,” Haning says.
Lt. John Haning
Rosco accompanies Haning everywhere, including the office, prompting Haning to call Rosco the team’s “PTSD dog.” “Rosco wanders into everyone’s office, and if an investigator is working on a bad case, the dog seems to know who needs attention and leans up against the person,” Haning says.
Oklahoma’s First Electronic Storage Detection Dog
After the Rogers Sheriff’s Office’s put in a request for a K9, OUR Rescue, a nonprofit anti-sex trafficking organization, donated Rosco to the ICAC unit. “To date, OUR Rescue has funded training for 105 ESD K9s in 36 states and eight international locations,” says Randy Golding, Deputy Director of North America Operations for OUR Rescue. They’ve placed ESD dogs with police departments, sheriff’s offices, Attorney General offices, and Departments of Public Safety.
Todd Jordan / Jordan Detection K9
Evidence is critical in rescuing children from predators. Without it, a child in danger may go unidentified. Pedophiles and predators often upload, share, and sell images of abuse, making it vital for law enforcement to search for all electronics in a suspect’s home thoroughly. More evidence can lead to longer sentences and harsher penalties for those exploiting children. Multiple counts of possession of child sexual abuse material can strengthen law enforcement’s case in court and help prove how dangerous the suspect is.
Missing even one piece of evidence can give a predator on parole access to vast amounts of illegal content and resume their criminal activity. Ensuring nothing is left behind is essential for the protection of these children. ESD K9s help take the burden off officers and secure justice for survivors. Rosco in particular has the distinction of being the first electronic storage detection dog in Oklahoma.
Lt. John Haning
When Haning’s unit receives a tip to investigate, the information isn’t always out in the open. “These devices are micro-sized and often the size of your fingernail,” he says. “It might take us 6 to 8 hours to clear out a room of everything we can see, such as computers or cameras, but Rosco can do it in 15 to 20 minutes.” Usually, they rely on Rosco as a secondary searcher to find the tiniest devices they may miss.
“Law enforcement teams work extremely hard to locate as much evidence as they can to help convict predators, but sometimes it’s nearly impossible to find hidden devices,” Golding says. “One of our sponsored ESD K9s and her handler discovered a USB storage device disguised as an Angry Bird toy.”
Sniffing for Hidden Evidence
Lt. John Haning
When law enforcement suspects someone is guilty, they need proof. Here’s where Rosco’s scent training shines. Haning says a wall socket may look functioning but may have a camera behind it, which Rosco is able to identify. Or, if a ceiling tile conceals an electronic object, Roscoe will sit under the scent and stare at them without moving. That’s how they know he’s found something.
Another way the team knows Rosco has found something is when he breathes in and out quickly. “When he’s in search mode and trying to find the scent, it’s our job to pay attention to him, so we don’t miss his alert,” Haning says. The dog is looking for the device, but it’s the officer’s job if it’s part of the investigation.
When Rosco makes a find, he’s rewarded with a few pieces of food. Always hand-fed his meals, Rosco is food-driven to sniff out devices. Haning trains him twice a day when they’re not on a search. “I’ll mark a blank device as a training aid and bury it underground, set it on fire in the fireplace, or throw it in the water along the shore,” he says. “He always finds it.”
Lt. John Haning
Living With an ESD K9
Growing up, Haning had German Shepherd Dogs and never had Labrador Retrievers on his radar, but Rosco has earned his devotion. “His personality is chill, and he gravitates to anyone who can use some attention.” For fellow investigators and victims, Rosco provides comfort and, for a few moments, some relief from such horrific acts.
Lt. John Haning
With all the energy Rosco exudes on the job, Haning says it’s amazing how calm and clingy the Labrador Retriever can be around his family. When he’s not following his partner, Rosco likes tagging along with Haning’s wife, Arlynne, and sleeps with Haning’s daughter. “Laid-back, this 72-pound dog is great around the house and doesn’t bark or growl but always needs attention. His personality is perfect for our family.”
The post Labrador Retriever ‘Rosco’ Wins Uniformed Service K-9 Award for Canine Excellence appeared first on American Kennel Club.
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