THE GNR’s latest recruit possesses a unique skill in Portugal – she is capable of detecting the smell of blood at crime scenes.
Natascha is a five year old Labrador who began her police career detecting drugs.
The disappearance of Madeleine McCann last year led the GNR to take advantage of Natascha’s skill and make her the first police dog in Portugal capable of detecting the smell of traces of blood. The need to find traces of blood in the room that Madeleine disappeared from, forced the police to ponder the use of dogs, but did not have the kind of dogs available at that time.
Three months later, the British police brought two dogs from the UK to do the job, Springer Spaniels Keela and Eddie.
Natascha was born at the Escola da Guarda in Queluz, Lisbon, and was initially trained to find drugs. Further analyses showed that her abilities were more directed towards the detection of blood. After nine months of work, Natascha finally finished her training in April.
Do you have a view on this story? Email: [email protected]
