By KTBS Web Staff
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GRAND CANE, Louisiana (KTBS) — When people think of police dogs, they often imagine large, intimidating breeds. But in DeSoto Parish, three small beagles with floppy ears and wagging tails are playing a key role in law enforcement.
K-9s Skinny, Tip and Clyde are the newest members of the DeSoto Parish Sheriff’s Office, trained specifically to track suspects using their strong sense of smell. Despite their size, deputies say the dogs have already proven their value in the field.
Last month, 8-year-old beagle Clyde assisted deputies in locating two burglary suspects who fled from Natchitoches Parish. The suspects abandoned their vehicle along Interstate 49 and ran into the woods. After a four-hour search, Clyde’s tracking ability led deputies to their location.
Patrol Capt. Michael Dunn said the suspects likely would not have been found without the beagles.
“They had gotten outside of the perimeter we set up,” Dunn said. “If we had not had the beagles, we would not have found them.”
The sheriff’s office often faces challenges due to the parish’s rural landscape, said Cpl. Kelby Pearah, head trainer of the K-9 unit.
“We’re very rural, and when someone bails out into the woods, it’s hard to lock down a perimeter,” Pearah said. “Helicopters and drones are great, but in thick piney woods, they can’t see much. When you put everything together, we’re really good at what we do.”
Unlike traditional police dogs trained to apprehend suspects, beagles are non-aggressive. They are released off-leash during tracking and wear GPS collars that allow handlers to monitor their movements in real time.
Their temperament makes them especially useful in sensitive situations, such as searching for missing children or elderly people with dementia.
“If a child with disabilities walks off or an elderly person goes missing, we can use the beagles,” Pearah said. “I can’t use one of our apprehension dogs in those situations because they’re trained to apprehend whatever is at the end of that track.”
Deputies say the beagles’ speed, calm demeanor and powerful noses make them an effective addition to the sheriff’s office K-9 unit.
The beagles train daily and can complete a 1-mile track in under five minutes. K-9 Clyde is the veteran of the group, while Skinny and Tip are learning quickly.
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