Public Safety Dogs
Our Story
Public Safety Dogs, Inc. was originally founded in 2003 by Mike Craig and Linda Dunn as Canines for Kids, Inc. Canines for Kids was formed in order to donate scent discriminating dogs to law enforcement agencies across the United States. These dogs were donated with the idea that they will be trained and available immediately whenever a missing person was reported. Because these dogs are trained to trail a specific scent, they are also useful for trailing suspects who have fled from law enforcement officers. This makes the dogs a useful, everyday tool for their departments. Having a dog with the ability to trail suspects or escapees can significantly reduce the time it takes to apprehend these people. A well trained dog and handler can save their department time, money, and manpower as well as provide an extra measure of safety for the officers who are attempting to take into custody someone who has fled.
Early in 2007, we began to seriously consider expanding the services we offered. We had already filled a request in Hawaii for a scent-discriminating dog that could also search for cadavers and other, similar requests were coming in as well. In addition to scent-discriminating dogs, we now offer school resource dogs (for locating guns, ammunition and drugs in our schools) as well as other scent dogs with specialties in cadaver and arson. The decision to change the name of the organization to Public Safety Dogs, Inc. was a tough but necessary one. This name more accurately reflects what we are trying to accomplish.
As Canines for Kids, Inc., we could only offer our dogs to law enforcement agencies. Now, as Public Safety Dogs we can offer our dogs to other public safety organizations such as fire departments or campus security that are in need of scent dogs and their benefits.