Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, July 29, 1995 TAG: 9507310135
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: HERNDON LENGTH: Medium
It was her retirement party and, as a handful of speakers touted her accomplishments, the guest of honor was sniffing a little.
First, she sniffed the leg of a woman standing in the doorway. Then she sniffed the pants cuffs and backpacks of five of her guests. Then she sniffed a worn, brown briefcase and sat at the feet of the young man carrying it. When the case was opened, tightly wrapped wads of marijuana and hashish were found inside.
The crowd in the hotel meeting room broke into applause as Gretta, an energetic, 52-pound bundle of auburn fur, completed her last official drug demonstration and retired Monday after four years - 28 doggie years - with the U.S. Customs Service.
``Good girl!'' said Gretta's two-legged partner, canine enforcement officer Douglas D. Freyberger, as the 7-year-old golden retriever tugged on a rolled-up terry cloth towel, her reward for a job well done. As she chewed away, Gretta's bum right hip, caused by a nagging injury that forced her early retirement, was barely noticeable.
Freyberger, 26, said he'll miss his partner. The twosome hooked up in Miami two years ago, later transferring to Washington Dulles International Airport. ``There definitely is a bond,'' he said. ``I've worked with her six days a week, sometimes seven. Some weeks, I see her more than my wife.''
He is comforted knowing that Gretta will live out her retirement romping in the woods behind the Gainesville home of one of his co-workers, Heather Olivier, who just spent $250 on dog food, toys and other treats to welcome her. Gretta will share her new home with Olivier's son, Jamie, 9, who is enthusiastic about the idea, and three family cats, who apparently aren't, judging from a trial sleep-over.
U.S. Customs Service Commissioner George J. Weise, happy to be relegated to ``second top-dog'' status for the moment Monday, praised Gretta for ``an illustrious career'' that resulted in the seizure of more than 175 pounds of marijuana, 28 pounds of heroin and 2 pounds of cocaine.
When not busting the bad guys, Gretta and Freyberger made the rounds of schools in Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia and the District of Columbia, bringing their anti-drug message to more than 100,000 youngsters.
Customs began using drug-sniffing dogs 25 years ago and, since then, nearly 1,100 dogs - all of them obtained from shelters or rescue leagues - have completed the agency's training program. About 440 are on active duty. Only about half of those accepted at the agency's canine center in Front Royal make it through the rigorous 12- to 15-week training regimen.
During a recent 12-month period, the dogs made 5,363 seizures of narcotics and other drugs with a street value exceeding $4 billion.
Freyberger said such smugglers are ``walking time bombs'' waiting to be discovered by the dogs, who can tell marijuana from mothballs and pick out heroin packaged with peppers - two of the pungent aromas traffickers have tried to hide behind.
The dogs, used at U.S. borders and seaports in addition to airports, are uncomplaining and diligent workers capable of examining up to 500 packages in a half-hour or searching a vehicle in five minutes.
Freyberger, who went on duty Tuesday with his new partner, a black Labrador named Buddy, said Gretta gave him 110 percent every day. ``She asked so little of me, and I asked so much of her,'' he said. ``She's an absolute charm.''
Perhaps, but as Gretta heads into her retirement with her new family, it's not her charm that has some in Gainesville thinking.
Said Olivier: ``There's some kids in my neighborhood that I haven't seen around once they learned I had a drug-sniffing dog coming to live at my house.''
by CNB