Dunn Search: What's a Cadaver Dog "Hit"?
By: Bigcountryhomepage.com Staff Reports
Updated: January 15, 2011
At this point, investigators are remaining tight lipped about what those hits were. However, it appears no human remains were found.
Law enforcement sources tell bigcountryhomepage.com that "hits" can range from decomposing flesh to blood found on a bandage. In many cases, cadaver dogs are trained to alert on any type of human blood.
Many cadaver dogs can sniff out the presence of blood, bones, organs, teeth, and other body-related items. The dogs are trained to specifically recognize human scents and not those of animals.
Typically, cadaver dogs work both on and off leash and are trained to detect the scent of decomposition that rises from the soil. According K-9 expert Krista Mifflin, it's essentially the same principle as when a dog knows where he last buried his bone.
The dogs brought to Abilene to aid in the search were from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.
