Massachusetts county first to implement COVID K-9 unit

Huntah and Duke are the first COVID-19 detecting canines in a police K-9 unit.

The Bristol County Sheriff's Office in Massachusetts is the first law enforcement agency in the country to implement a K-9 unit with canines able to detect COVID-19. "Today, festivals are happening, restaurants are full and concert venues are packed," said Bristol County Sheriff Thomas M. Hodgson in a statement published Thursday. "We've made so much progress, and our new COVID-19 detection program is one way the people of Bristol County can stay ahead of the curve." Huntah, a 9-month old female black lab, and Duke, a 9-month-old male golden lab/retriever mix, are the two canines that have now joined the Bristol County K-9 unit after completing a COVID-19 detection training program developed by the International Forensic Research Institute at Florida International University. The program, which uses masks worn by COVID-19 positive patients, kills the virus with an ultraviolet light, leaving the smell of the virus for dogs to detect.