Colorado’s K-9 Heroes Battle Bears

Colorado’s new K-9 unit, led by Belgian Malinois Samson, is revolutionizing wildlife management with scent-detection missions ranging from finding lost kids to deterring bears—and even sniffing out poachers. Funded by Ben Roethlisberger and now backed by state budgets and grants, these canine officers are trained to haze bears away from human areas using non-lethal tactics, reducing euthanasia and helping bears learn to avoid populated zones. With over 5,000 bear reports last year—the highest since 2019—Colorado is cracking down on feeding bears, now punishable by up to $5,000 for repeat offenders. Samson and his team are already on track to haze more bears this year, building on last year’s success of deterring 30. These dogs, who also assist in wildlife surveys and investigations, get treats, praise, and climate-controlled trucks off duty—because even the toughest jobs deserve belly rubs. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/781cd2d54f0f9e50