Story by Rebecca West
Photos courtesy of Gayle Warren
In this issue, we’re celebrating working dogs and the important jobs they undertake. Many have been bred for their roles. Others fall into them. Historically, they were bred to safeguard humans and livestock. Over the years, however, they have been recruited for all manner of tasks. They include but are not limited to service dogs, therapy dogs, search-and-rescue dogs, herding dogs, military/police K9s, and detection dogs.
This last group is trained to sniff out a diverse range of smells. For instance, some K9s are capable of detecting cancers and other serious maladies, abnormal blood sugar levels, oncoming seizures, and certain insects. Others are employed to locate substances such as drugs, explosives, blood, and human remains, the latter of which overlaps with search-and-rescue pups. But living in the digital world has brought with it the need for ESD dogs. What are they?
Meet Zona, a happy Labrador retriever who loves her reward-driven job with the Tucson Police Department (TPD) as an Electronic Storage Device detection K9 assigned to the Crime Laboratory. A very talented girl, she’s able to locate lost or hidden electronics, including cellphones, laptops, USB drives, media cards, and more. She primarily assists the department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit with her handler, Digital Forensic Examiner Gayle Warren.
It turns out Zona was donated to the department through Operation Underground Railroad, which now operates as “Our Rescue,” and was trained by Jordan Detection K9. She was originally put through the paces for training as a service dog, but she had too much drive to successfully pass the highest level of certification. As it turns out, most of the dogs at Jordan are service dog failures and affectionately considered “repurposed” pups by the training facility.
In May, she reportedly celebrated her fourth birthday with a potluck of sorts. As it turns out, Zona has a sensitive tummy, so she doesn’t get dog treats, per se. In fact, she’s been taught not to eat human food (this helps when she’s on the job if food is lying about), but she loves ice, of all things.
Besides curiosity about Zona’s background, we wanted to get a feel for what it’s like to live and work with a detection dog. So, in between Warren’s hectic schedule as a TPD digital forensics examiner, K9 handler, wife, and mother of four, we were able to pitch some questions her way regarding Zona’s background as well as her life on and off duty. Here’s what we found out.
Q. How long have you been with the TPD, and is this the first K9 you’ve worked with?
A. I’ve been with TPD for 20 years, and, yes, this is my first time working with a K9. I am the first civilian K9 handler for the TPD. I wanted to be a K9 handler since I met my husband, a retired Oro Valley Police Department officer. When I met him, he was a K9 handler with a narcotic/patrol K9. I was one of two women who started our Forensic Electronic Media Unit, which later led me to Zona.
Q. We understand Zona also helps educate children regarding Internet safety. Does this take place in classrooms, and how frequently is she utilized in this manner?
A. In schools, with Girl Scout troops, youth groups, after-school programs, and community events. Last year, we did 74 outreach events, which included public tours of the crime lab, schools, and special events. In addition to her detecting duties, we’re pretty busy.
Q. I’m sure readers are curious, but are working dogs kenneled with the department, or does Zona live with you?
A. Yes, she does live with me. We have three other dogs at home. She’s become part of the family. My kids love her, and she loves them. She even sleeps next to me at night. We’re inseparable.
Q. What does she most enjoy when she’s not working? Does she have favorite activities or treats?
A. She loves to play hide-and-seek with electronics, which is essentially work. Due to the job and her being food-reward driven, she doesn’t get a regular bowl of food like most dogs do. Instead, she gets rewards throughout the day that amount to the same level of food she’d eat if she was given a bowl. It’s why she loves to work. She’s a Lab, after all, and loves to eat!
As far as activities, she’s very good at giving high fives, loves playing with the other dogs, loves pool season, fetching balls or frisbees. She’s incredibly strong and a tug-of-war champion. In March, she had the honor of doing the puck drop at a Road Runners hockey game. It was the ceremonial hockey puck for the Tucson Police Department vs. the Tucson Fire Department annual first responders’ night hockey match and also for the Tucson Roadrunners hockey game.
On May 31st, she was on hand at the TCC arena for a match between the Tucson Sugar Skulls and the San Antonio Gunslingers. It was Police and Military night, and Zona delivered the game ball for the TPD vs. Military half-time flag football game.
Q. Does she get the concept of a day off? In other words, how does she know how to separate being on duty and off? Are there commands that alert her to the fact she’s supposed to be working?
A. I ask her if she’s ready to go to work, and she gets very excited. So much so that if I spell the word “work” out to her, Zona knows it’s time to work. It doesn’t matter the day.
Q. Does she ever signal a find or hit when she’s not working?
A. Absolutely, yes! All the time (laughter).
Q. And does she still expect to be rewarded?
A. Of course!
Q. So she finds stuff on purpose, like a cellphone slipped down between the couch cushions, in the hope of a treat coming her way?
A. Yes, or a USB in a backpack. Sometimes, she even indicates on an obvious phone lying next to me or in a person’s hand.
Q. The thought of her ferreting out stuff for a snack and an “atta girl” is too funny. What is her behavior when she’s detected something? How does she alert you to a hit?
A. She sits when she finds stuff and points to it with her nose.
Q. Now, working dogs are selected as puppies for certain characteristics and displayed behaviors that deem them as more desirable for training than others. Assuming the same is true for ESD candidates, what are they, if you know?
A. They have to have a drive to work for rewards.
Q. How long has the Tucson Police Department’s ESD unit been in operation?
A. Since March 2023. And Zona was the first dog in the unit. In fact, she’s still the only one. There is, however, one in Maricopa with the sheriff’s office, one in Scottsdale, and one in Prescott Valley. But that one is not affiliated with a police department but rather in the private sector.
Zona came to us through Jordan Detection K9 in Indiana. They’ve trained more than 150 ESD K9s. Their focus is on locating digital evidence in cases related to child exploitation, counter-terrorism, and drugs. The owner, Todd Jordan, began working with arson detection K9s in 1997 before expanding into ESDs. He has decades of experience training dogs to assist in special investigations. He was instrumental in the Jared Fogle case, with K9 Bear, who detected a thumb drive during the raid on his home.
(Note: For those of you who don’t remember, Fogle was the disgraced hoagie pitchman who rocked Subway and the rest of the world when it was revealed that he was in possession of child pornography and had behaved inappropriately with underage victims during his tenure with the sandwich shop. https://youtu.be/-J26qgq9VmE?
Prisons have had cellphone sniffing dogs that search for lithium-ion batteries for many years and are transitioning to ESD dogs. Without going into specifics, electronic detection K9s are searching for a particular chemical that can’t be washed away. There was some testing done with a mobile phone dropped into a shallow stream, and the dog was still able to locate it, even underwater. It’s pretty amazing.
Q. What types of cases does she work and how much of an impact has the unit made on Internet crimes?
A. Zona has assisted the FBI and HSI (Homeland Security Investigations), among others. She’s also assisted Oro Valley PD, the Pima County Sheriff’s office, and in things like human trafficking, homicide, stalking, probation, and domestic violence cases. Zona predominately responds to Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) search warrants. There have been seven or eight crimes involving evidence that wouldn’t have been found without her.
Q. What’s the best thing about working with dogs, in your view?
A. There are so many things, but the partnership and their devotion and unconditional love create such an amazing bond.
Zona’s Lab Report
As if she’s not busy enough, Warren has written a number of educational books featuring Zona. Her intention is to see them published so that they might reach parents and kids to educate them about the reality of the world we live in.
“I currently have written three books, with two more nearly completed. I have sent one to the illustrator, Lynne Lillge, AKA “The Italic Illustrator,” and publisher Kayla Sherman with Three Kiddos Publishing. I have the cover art for the first book I plan to release, which is still with the illustrator. I do not have a projected date to send the other books, as I will have to save and/or raise money to get that accomplished.
“In the books, Zona is the main character in the series, which is called Zona’s Lab Report. She is a lovable pup who is learning and sharing with kids about life’s tricky situations, both online and offline. The first one to be released is titled Zona’s Lab Report: The Birthday Suit Dispute.
“My children’s books are intended to spark meaningful conversations between parents and kids about important topics that often go unspoken or are challenging to discuss. Through engaging stories, relatable characters, and rhyming language, each book will introduce children to real-world issues such as online safety, cyberbullying, strangers, family values, purpose, responsible use of social media, and more.
“Even sensitive topics like sending inappropriate photos are addressed with care, making it easier for adults to guide children through the complex situation. The goal is to educate, empower, and equip our younger generation with the knowledge, voice, and confidence to make safe, respectful choices in life.”
If you’d like to keep up with this smart, sweet pup, she has her own social media pages you can check out by following @esd_k9_zona on Instagram and Electronic Detection K9 Zona on Facebook. You’ll also be able to monitor the progress of the books that way as they come to fruition.
