58-Pound Puppy Is ATF's New Weapon Against Terrorism

A 58-pound puppy armed with a miniature camera is being touted as a new and vital weapon against terrorism in the New York area.

Kara, a Labrador-Golden Retriever mix, is one of just nine dogs in the entire country trained to sniff out nineteen thousand different kinds of explosives.

"She's just indispensable for law enforcement, another tool in our ever growing tool box," said Charles Mulham, spokesman for the federal bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

Kara herself is practically an ATF agent, a so-called SEEK dog, who has her own badge and business card.

"She amazes me every day," said her handler, Stephanie, who doesn't want to be fully identified because of her prior undercover work.

Kara works off-leash, moving as far as 150 yards from Stephanie, all while wearing a tiny camera tucked into her collar or attached to her back.

Stephanie can access the camera with her cellphone, allowing her to see what Kara sees, even if the two are separated.

"We can search much more efficiently than if I had to walk every step of it with her," said Stephanie.

To demonstrate Kara's prowess, the ATF hid a small bag with dynamite in a Nassau County park.

Within minutes, the dog located the bag and sat next to it - signaling there was explosive material inside.

Later, pieces of handguns were hidden in a playground and again Kara quickly tracked them all down.

Each time she discovered a dangerous item, Kara was rewarded with food.

Kara only eats while training, her handler said - a regimen that helps ensure Kara will be ready to work at any time of the day or night.

"For her it's fun," Stephanie said. "But for us, it's serious work."

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