They are four-legged police officers sniffing their way through mountains, tropical forests, and urban jungles, and they operate in the southernmost Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, just seven miles from Venezuela. Police dogs and their canine officers face dangers including drug dealers, thieves, kidnappers, and murderers by relying on their most important weapon: trust
This is an unprecedented look at crime from the police canine section’s perspective, with the bond between police officers and their dog partners at the heart of the story. Written by a journalist with a background in anthropology, this book is based on exclusive access to the police dogs’ secret files. It includes interviews with retired and working canine officers and spans 70 years, from the canine section’s inception in 1952 to 2022. Follow the dogs’ work during colonialism, independence, the Black Power movement, the rise of the illegal drug trade, and the age of terrorism. Fierce, feared, loyal and lovable, police dogs have compiled an impressive crimefighting record and a trail of remarkable stories.

Debbie Jacob is a journalist who lives in St. Ann’s, Trinidad. In 2019 she was named the Trinidad Express Individual of the Year and received an award from the Trinidad and Tobago Police Mounted and Canine Branch for her work with the nation’s police dogs. In 2020, she received a Chaconia Gold Medal from the government of Trinidad and Tobago for spheres of humanitarian work in prisons and the police service canine section.

Debbie Jacob. Series Editor Brian Patrick Duggan
Format: softcover (6 x 9)
Pages: 229
Bibliographic Info: 17 photos, appendices, notes, bibliography, index
Copyright Date: 2024
pISBN: 978-1-4766-9406-1
eISBN: 978-1-4766-5190-3
Imprint: McFarland
Series: Dogs in Our World

Acknowledgments ix

Preface 1

Introduction. Trinidad: An Island of Beauty, an Island in Crisis 7

 1. Dog Days 11

 2. Backtracking: Bruno 16

 3. Along Came a Spider 21

 4. Shah: King of the Dogs 28

 5. Ralph and Rex 34

 6. Dreams, Nightmares and Other Business 42

 7. Sheba and Sheba 49

 8. Carlo 54

 9. Panther 60

10. Adolph, ANZAC, and Bullet 64

11. Trigger 73

12. Shep 78

13. Black Power, Daemon and Rex 81

14. Murder in St. Vincent 90

15. Dyer Memories 97

16. Inside the Caroni Kennels 100

17. Jango and Strike 105

18. A Line in the Sand 110

19. The Piegaro Team 116

20. Ambush and Kidnappings 125

21. Springing into Action 132

22. Dog Days Two 136

23. Where the Air Is Rare 140

24. A Woman’s Touch 145

25. Tobago Tales 151

26. Starring: The “M” Dogs 160

27. Training Days 169

28. What the Future Holds 174

Appendix A: Thomas’s Final Report on Bruno 183

Appendix B: Panther’s Veterinary Report 186

Appendix C: Privy Council Summary of Junior “Spirit” Cottle Case 188

Chapter Notes 193

Bibliography 207

Index 215