Missouri Department of Conservation Has New Canine Unit

Brandon Lyddon, Conservation Agent 

In the spring of 2021, the Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) Law Enforcement Branch unleashed the power of the super nose by starting a canine unit to protect our fish and wildlife resources, search for lost people or people evading arrest, find evidence, and more.

The canines have four main functions including tracking, evidence search and recovery, wildlife detection and doing public programs. Conservation canines are like search and rescue dogs, bomb-sniffing dogs, or narcotics K9’s. Their essential duty is to use their nose to detect hard-to-find targets. In the last few months, the MDC Canine Unit has had 134 law enforcement and search and rescue types of calls and conducted 248 canine educational programs with approximately 11,834 program participants across the state.

MDC’s Canine Unit is comprised of five dogs and their human partners with three more planned to join the unit in the next year for a total of eight across the state. Tex, a German Shorthaired Pointer, and handler Corporal Alan Lamb. Korra, a black Labrador Retriever, and handler Corporal Justin Pyburn. Penny, a black Labrador Retriever, and handler Corporal Don Clever. Waylon, a Shorthaired Pointer, and handler Corporal Caleb Pryor. Astro, a yellow Labrador Retriever, and handler Corporal Susan Swem.

To start out training the handlers and their canines traveled to the Indiana to attend the 2021 Canine Wildlife Resource Protection School to become certified. The academy was a total of nine weeks, but the training never ends as they continue to train daily to prepare for any request they may get. 

The following are some examples of the work done so far by the canine unit across the state. In all these cases, the human nose and eyes would likely have never found the evidence or people that the canines found in a short amount of time. At a conservation area Astro searched for and found a suicidal victim after several days of first responders and volunteers searching and not locating the victim, bringing closure for family and friends. Tex assisted in an investigation of taking waterfowl in closed season with 26 violations uncovered. Tex also located a shotgun and turkey breast hidden by an individual who started his turkey season a week early. 

Penny assisted in an investigation after a call about conservation area campers illegally shooting animals. Penny located a suspect and several animals including deer and fish that had been illegally harvested. Waylon was called to a trespass call where two suspects shot a turkey while trespassing, then shot at the reporting party when they were confronted. Waylon was able to locate spent shotgun shells that were later matched to shotgun shells in the suspect’s hunting vest corroborating the witness’s statement that they had been shot at. Korra assisted in locating and recovering a woman’s purse at the James A. Reed Memorial Wildlife Area the day after her vehicle had been burglarized.