4-LEGGED OFFICERS JOIN LORIS POLICE FORCE

Chief says Nora, Lucy will be instrumental in department's search for
illegal drugs

Nora's enthusiasm for her new police job shows every time Officer Jeff Gore
looks her way.

The 2-1/2 -year-old Belgium Malinois wags her tail and prances her
front paws in a dance-like gesture when Gore speaks a command to her.

Nora, a nationally certified narcotics detection dog, is the newest
officer with the Loris Police Department. And her Feb. 10 arrival
makes Gore happy to again have a four-legged partner by his side.

Gore was the department's first dog handler in 2002 when the
department acquired Dixie, a black Labrador. But less than a year
after her arrival, Dixie died of natural causes.

Even though the department has just 19 officers -- including Nora and
her tracking counterpart, Lucy, a full-bred bloodhound -- Chief
Herbert Blake said having two dogs increases the chances that drug
offenders will be caught.

"Even though we're small, we feel we can be as professional and as
well trained as any in the state," Blake said. "This town deserves the
best police protection they can get, and that's what we're trying to
do."

Funding typically dictates if a department has a canine unit and how
many dogs it can afford. But Loris hit the jackpot with Nora.

The dog was donated by RAID Corps Inc., a private Spartanburg-based
company that provides canines to conduct drug searches at schools and
businesses.

"It's a small town, and the budget is limited," said Ken Elliott, who
handles Lucy. "But (having two canines) put us on the map for a level
of protection this town has never seen."

Lucy was rescued from the Horry County Animal Shelter and certified in
June, Elliott said. Dogs like Nora and Lucy carry an expensive price
tag in addition to their training and required certifications.

Other expenses include special vehicles to house the dog for
transport, veterinary bills, food and other necessary supplies.

Georgetown police had to retire the department's narcotic dog a couple
of years ago, and the money to replace it still has not been found,
Sgt. Danny Watson said.

"It's a budget constraint right now. There's just no funding," Watson said.

Many departments struggle with the requirements to establish a canine
unit while maintaining services for existing officers and the public.

Larger departments such as Myrtle Beach recently began their canine
units and are slowly expanding them to include dogs with different
duties.

Horry County police, the county's largest department, was the first
department to start such a unit. It has had a drug dog since 1982,
since adding five bloodhound tracking dogs, Lt. Scott Rutherford said.

The need to stop increased drug activity can spur departments to deem
the units a necessity, officials said.

"The methods of transportation (of drugs) are so complex and tricky,"
Rutherford said. "Short of taking a vehicle apart, a canine is the
only thing that can find (drugs) in a vehicle."

Dogs like Nora also give officers probable cause to obtain search
warrants for vehicles, homes and businesses after a dog has detected
that drugs could be inside, he said.

"They're priceless and worth their weight in gold," Rutherford said.