Wonderful police dog

Sniffer dog retires at a citizen’s home after serving for 8 years.

Big Bear, a sniffer dog that worked at the Inspection and Quarantine Administration of Nanjing, has officially retired after eight years of service. It is being adopted by Ms. Zhi, a Nanjing local and a dog lover. 

The Inspection and Quarantine Administration of Nanjing started to employ sniffer dogs at the airport in 2002. It is the forth Chinese city that uses sniffer dogs in the airport after Beijing, Guangzhou, and Shanghai.

Big Bear, a Labrador retriever born in 2007, was introduced to the Patrol Dog Institution and selected as a sniffer dog for Nanjing Airport a year later.

After four months of training, he started to work upon authorization. He has made great contribution to the exports and imports quarantine inspection during his duty. He is especially good at plant quarantine – he was once able to detect 17 boxes of fruits weighing 170kg.

“He is quiet and calm, isn’t like other quarantine dogs that are easily excited,” Han Yan, Big Bear’s handler said. “But he has a good appetite, sometimes too good.”

In 2011, Big Bear accidently swallowed a sleevelet and received two surgeries, after which his health deteriorated.

Each sniffer dog has to take a break every 30 minutes and they work no more than 4 hours a day to make sure they stay in a good condition. After the sleevelet episode, Big Bear sort of slipped into a retirement status.

In order to provide Big Bear a post-retirement life, the Inspection and Quarantine Administration of Nanjing decided to find him an adoptive home.

“The most important requirement is that they have to love dogs, and can take good care of them,” said Yan.

And Miss Zhi from Yancheng, Nanjing, fitted the bill to become Big Bear’s adoptive parent.

“She has met up with all the requirements and her family love Big Bear.”

In 2013, two sniffer dogs, Heifeng and Kaka, have been successfully adopted by citizens after eight years on duty. They are the first two quarantine dogs adopted by citizens in Nanjing.

Sniffer dogs play important roles in preventing invasive alien species enter the country, and protect the safety and stabilization of the region. Labrador retrievers, Beagles and English Springer Spaniels are the three most commonly breeds used as sniffer dogs.