Associated Press
 Rheana, a yellow lab, waits for the command to search with her partner, Corrections Officer Sam Ducharme, at the Department of Correction in Wethersfield, Conn. Connecticut is among several states turning to dogs to help them find cell phones smuggled into state prisons. (AP Photo) |
HARTFORD, Conn. — A burly man with a shaved head and a large black paw print tattooed on his right forearm arm guides an eager yellow Labrador retriever past a series of television sets sitting on the floor.
Tucked inside the back of one TV is a cell phone.
“That’s it, baby, see? That’s a girl, see? That’s a girl,” Lt. David DeMatteo -- in an unexpectedly high, sweet voice -- coaches the dog before she obediently sits down next to the third set.
“Oh! Whatcha you got, baby? Good girl,” DeMatteo enthusiastically praises the pooch, handing over a few valuable pieces of kibble.
Read full story: Super-sniffer dog seeks cell phones in prisons