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FWC K-9 OFFICER JOHN SNOW HONORED WITH
HUMPHREY AWARD
December 6, 2006
Contact: Gary Morse (863) 648-3206
The Wildlife Foundation of Florida (WFF) has
bestowed upon Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission
(FWC) K-9 officer John Snow the prestigious Louise Ireland
Humphrey Award. Snow was honored for his work in helping train
and establish the FWC’s K-9 resource protection unit, the
largest of its kind in the world.
The WFF honors former Game and Fresh Water Fish
Commission Chairwoman Louise Ireland Humphrey by recognizing an
FWC employee whose dedication and service has made a significant
contribution to the protection and conservation of Florida’s
fish and wildlife. The ceremony honoring Snow took place
Wednesday, Dec. 6, at the bi-monthly business meeting of the FWC
in Key Largo.
Snow, a 26-year veteran officer with the FWC,
graduated in 1990 from the first-ever K-9 training academy
conducted in Florida for resource protection. Since 1992, Snow
has been the primary FWC officer responsible for training K-9
teams for wildlife and fisheries resource protection in Florida.
Dogs and handlers must pass difficult tests under a variety of
conditions, administered by the United States Police Canine
Association to be certified.
Snow not only trains Florida officers and their
dogs, he also is responsible for helping arrange academies and
train K-9 conservation teams in several other states and
Canadian provinces. Snow also is one of five officers in the
nation chosen to help train the FBI’s agents in using K-9 teams
to recover missing children and track criminals.
The super sleuth training conducted by Snow
primarily uses retriever breeds to track poachers and people
such as Alzheimer’s patients and children who wander off and get
lost. A significant part of the training focuses on detecting
places where violators have hidden illegally taken caches of
fish or wildlife, hence the ability to sniff out contraband
hidden in boats and vehicles by not-so-crafty poachers. The dogs
are also trained and certified in locating firearms, ammunition
and other items that are evidence to illegal activities. The
famous “lobster-sniffing dogs” used by FWC officers in the
Florida Keys are a result of the program.
The FWC has 12 teams located throughout the
state. Six more teams are scheduled to begin service in April
when Snow and fellow FWC Officer Ros Welborn finish teaching the
most recent group of recruits.
“While the training is intense, rugged and
sometimes dangerous, in the end it’s always inspiring to see the
results of our efforts,” Snow said. “That’s one of the things I
love most about my job.”
Dogs selected for the FWC’s canine program must
be willing workers with great “play drive” and a good
temperament. Patience and understanding are prime requisites for
the handler as dog performance depends on such traits. The dogs
receive no aggression training and are user-friendly. |
