A Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) law enforcement K-9 lent a helping paw last week after a hunter lost track of a buck that he had shot earlier that day.
When a hunter loses sight of an animal that they have shot, they typically track it down using the blood trail that it leaves behind.
The hunter in this case lost the blood trail and called Colorado Parks and Wildlife. The department sent Wildlife Officer Ian Petkash and his K9 partner, Samson, to help. Samson was eventually able to sniff out and recover the injured deer.
The hunter ultimately made the right call and others should follow suit by getting in touch with their their local wildlife officer if they find themselves in a similar position.
Ian and Samson are only needed for situations like this around once per year, but Samson, along with other dogs in CPW’s K-9 pilot program, assists on other missions year round.
Samson is the newest of three dogs that are a part of the program. Interestingly, he was added to the team thanks to a donation from Super Bowl-winning quarterback Ben Roethlisberger.
“The other two K-9’s enlisted in CPW’s pilot program are Sci, a Dutch Shepherd partnered with Wildlife Officer Philip Gurule in the Gunnison area since 2015, and Cash, a black Labrador partnered with Wildlife Officer Brock McArdle in northwest Larimer County since 2017,” said CPW Public Information Officer Jason Clay.
Ian Petkash and his K9 partner Samson Photo courtesy: Colorado Parks and Wildlife
“CPW K9s serve several purposes, but they work hard to help conserve Colorado’s natural resources,” Clay said.
The dogs have a wide variety of duties, including wildlife law enforcement, handler protection, and reducing conflicts with bears, to name a few.
“They serve as an ambassador for wildlife management to Colorado’s public. These dogs are trained to help officers locate animals, evidence, suspects, and protect the wildlife officers of Colorado,” Clay said.
Since the program is still in an early stage, it relies on public donations for funding, according to Clay.
You can support CPW’s K-9 program by visiting its GoFundMe page, here.
This content was originally published here.