On the recordSeptember 15, 2010
I yield myself such time as I may consume. Mr. Speaker, House Resolution 1614 expresses the sense of the House of Representatives that police service dogs and their handlers perform a critical role in ensuring our national security and deserve to be recognized for their service. Federal, State, local, and military law enforcement agencies work with service dogs to perform a variety of tasks to prevent and solve crimes and to keep the public safe. Search and rescue dogs often perform a number of functions, such as searching for victims in avalanches, collapsed buildings, and people missing in the wilderness. {time} 1650 Service dogs are also used to capture escaped offenders or suspects from crime scenes. These dogs are trained to search for items bearing human scent and are utilized in crime scenes to find evidence thrown away by a suspect. In addition, dogs are trained to search through buildings, cars, and luggage, and can alert on more than one kind of drug despite the best efforts of smugglers. Law enforcement service dogs can be trained to alert on guns and bomb-making materials. And often these dogs deter dangerous crimes at sporting events, train stations, airports, and other places by their mere presence. Due to the dangerous situations these dogs and their handlers are frequently put in, many dogs have given their lives in the performance of their duties.…