Meet Harris County's elite bomb sniffing dogs

Wednesday, August 24, 2016
HCSO Bomb Sniffing Dogs
The Harris County Sheriff's Office welcomed two new highly trained K-9 members to their team Wednesday.

HOUSTON (KTRK) -- The Harris County Sheriff's Office welcomed two new highly trained K-9 members to their team Wednesday.

The non-profit organization K9s4COPs donated Kyra and Luna, both Belgian Malinois, to the department. They can detect the scent of bomb-making materials from miles away and save lives.

"These dogs are able to pick up the scent in the air," said Sheriff Ron Hickman. "In most of our K-9 approaches, you go to a particular scent, you look at a fixed position. These dogs pick up the scent from the air and trace it back to source."

Deputy Ted Dahlin is Kyra's handler.

"I'm amazed by what she can do, because there's no machine that's been invented that can do what these dogs do," said Dahlin.

Kyra and Luna along with their two trainers from the Harris County Sheriff's office spent eight weeks training together in California before coming back to Texas to work.

WATCH:Dog getting sworn in for deputy duty is the cutest thing ever

Sheriff Hickman said the two dogs will help keep the public safe when the Super Bowl comes to Houston.

Houston Super Bowl plans raise unintended controversy