Utah's 'porn sniffing dog' named URL dies after putting hundreds of criminals behind bars
WEBER COUNTY, UTAH: A Utah police dog that helped in the arrest of numerous, horrific sex offenders has died, just before its eighth birthday. The Weber County Sheriff's Office's K-9 named 'URL' attracted attention from all over the world for successfully pulling off more over 200 search warrants, frequently apprehending child sex offenders.
The cunning dog was a master at finding incriminating evidence. He once discovered a micro-SD card hidden in a locked baby food jar in a box full of other objects inside a massive chest. Both items were discovered on a key ring disguised as a USB drive. He was even able to find mobile phone parts hidden in a wall behind a toilet in the Weber County Jail.
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Detective Cameron Hartman, the dog's handler, said it was a "privilege" to work with the canine, who earned the title "porn-sniffing dog" for its feats. He said, "What a privilege it was to serve alongside you. URL, my heart is broken and still filled with so many memories and emotions. I am so lucky to have been able to get to know you and serve the citizens of Utah and its surrounding states with you. Thank you, URL, for trusting me, for working so hard, for loving me unconditionally, and for being part of my family. You were always there for me as I benefited from your talent in helping to catch some of the wolves that live among us. It's been an unbelievable honour to have been the largest part of your unstable life. I will miss you terribly until I get to see you again."
After URL retired last year, the pair moved in together and worked for several organizations, including the FBI Child Exploitation Task Force, the Department of Homeland Security, the Utah Department of Corrections, the Weber Morgan Narcotics Strike Force, and others.
URL was initially thought to be "untrainable," but a rescue organization saw the dog's "unique talents," which led to his entry into police training and eventually into the Weber County Sheriff's Office. Several times a day, Hartman would undertake practice searches to help him find lost objects or important pieces of evidence. Slowly, his outstanding effort catapulted him into the national spotlight. The dog and his handler were transported to Los Angeles in 2017 in order to have an interview with actor Terry Crews and appear on the television program 'Cops'.