Only on ABC-7: Dona Ana County Detention Center introduces drug sniffing canine

The Dona Ana County Detention Center has received the first of its kind canine officer. Officers at the detention center say the canine is the only one in the country trained to work in a jail.

Our New Mexico Mobile Newsroom got an exclusive look at CSK Dallas, an 80 pound schnauzer and the newest member of the team. Dallas is a $50,000 dollar dog, but the detention center paid $27,000 in jail funds for him. The money includes all of his necessary training. Dallas can extract, subdue and sniff drugs. Jail Administrator Chris Barela says Dallas works Mondaythrough Friday, just like every other officer.

“Its another tool for the officer and Dallas is a partner to each one of my officers here,” Barela said. “I have probably the best trained group here in the state of New Mexico easily for sure and possibly in the south west if not in the western United States.”