Garda to lead new dog unit

A member of An Garda Síochána has been identified to lead the new sniffer canine unit assigned to the region.

With the position expected to be filled soon, the next step is to begin training of both the garda and the dog together.

There have been frequent calls for the specialist unit to be established in Cavan to aid in drug searches and tackling other forms of criminality.

Attempts to set up a dog unit were stalled due to the pandemic, but progress has been made in the interim.

It can take up to 16 weeks to train a dog, and an internal competition for members to join the unit has been completed.

There are currently only three dog units operating in the country - in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

Sniffer dogs are used in a variety of operations, from drug detection operations to helping locate missing persons, and in the detection of explosives also.