There’s a new dog on the police force in the Nara prefecture in Western Japan. She’s not a German shepherd or a retriever. She’s just a little scrap of a thing, weighing under seven pounds. According to news reports, this makes her the smallest police dog in Japan — and maybe the world.
Fortunately Momo, a long-haired Chihuahua, is not expected to intimidate criminals as part of her job. Her main duty will be as a search-and-rescue dog. She’s got a good nose. She passed her test in less than five minutes, finding a trapped “victim” of a simulated natural disaster after one quick sniff of his hat.
Her small stature may prove a big asset in her job. She can squeeze into areas bigger dogs can’t. She’s already worked her way into the hearts of locals. “The phone hasn’t stopped ringing all afternoon” with calls from smitten viewers, a police spokesman said.
(Thank you, John Williams, for sniffing out this story for your fellow Dogsters!)
