Police K-9 team upholds security in Las Vegas Strip casinos
Las Vegas NV April 13 2023 Five-star service one sniff at a time.
That’s the motto of an elite K9 team working to keep the Las Vegas Strip safe
The dogs are with Wynn Las Vegas; one of the longest continuously operating K9 programs in the resort corridor.
During an exclusive demonstration some of the handlers showing News 3 what the team can do.
“Find it,” says Marco Pulido, instructing his dog Umit.
Within seconds the 8-year-old German Shepard, Belgian Malinois mix has tracked a scent to a garbage can in the resort’s convention area.
“Good boy,” praises Pulido. “That’s my good boy.”
The lessons look like playtime, but every “game” is training in disguise.
Umit is an explosives detection dog.
“They can sniff one part per quadrillion,” says Ryan Millbern, Senior Program Manager of K9 Operations at Wynn. “If you think of a football field and one blade of grass that smells different than the rest, these dogs can smell out that one blade of grass.”
Wynn Las Vegas opened in 2005 and since the beginning dogs have been a vital part of the security team.
Searching everywhere from the casino to back-of-house, parking garages to guest room floors.
And each dog has a unique role.
Along with Umit, Lotto a German Shorthaired Pointer is also trained on explosives.
While 9-year-old Yellow Labrador Retriever, Rocket sniffs for bed bugs.
“It’s really a pro-active program to make sure we don’t have a problem,” explains Millbern. “Because truly one bed bug can turn into 100 very quickly. Canine Rocket makes sure that doesn’t happen.”
And the dogs are running with the best of the best.
During Metro’s K9 trials at South Point Arena last month, 80 agencies from around the country showed off their skills.
When it came to hotel explosives detection, it was Lotto and handler Oshanna Remy with Wynn Las Vegas coming out on top.
Remy even becoming the first female handler to win the championship.
“We compete every year at the Las Vegas Metro K9 trials. My explosive detection team has been undefeated since 2016,” says Millbern. “I’m very proud of them and last year we came in 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place above all the law enforcement and military teams.”
But all that expertise is not something Millbern keeps to himself.
As President of the non-profit International Casino and Resort Working Dog Association, he offers free training to casino and resort K9 teams around the world.
A recent job taking him all the way to Cambodia.
“I spent three years in Iraq as a bomb dog trainer and handler where not everyone made it back,” says Millbern. “So, I do that (train for free) to make sure everyone has the training they need so they can make it home.”
And out on the street, Las Vegas visitors understand the importance of working dogs no matter what they’re sniffing out.
“If it keeps us safer, and they’re well trained,” says Elaan Montefiore of New York City, “ I have no problem with it.”
“Bed bugs?” adds Sarah Bohm from Palmdale California. “Then I really want them (the dogs) there!”
Back at Wynn, the K9s have their own trading cards, and unofficial fan clubs among hotel guests.
The job is serious.
“You wanna do it again?” asks Pulido of his dog.
Even if the K9s are in it for the toys they receive after successfully sniffing out their training tool.
“That’s my boy, good hunter!” says Pulido.
The K9s are on property 24-7, housed in top-of-the-line kennels.
Although they are gentle animals, guests can’t pet the dogs while they are working.
Handlers usually have those trading cards in their pockets however to give away. Just ask.
