HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com
Feb. 15, 2006, 5:01PM

ATF's 'Mikey' dies on duty for NBA All-Star Game
ERIC HANSON
Copyright 2006 Houston Chronicle

An explosives sniffing dog died this morning after falling from a ramp at the George R. Brown Convention Center in downtown Houston.

The dog, Mikey,  was part of a U.S. Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives unit involved in a security sweep of the convention center in preparation for the NBA All-Star game, said Franceska Perot, spokeswoman for ATF.

Perot said about 1:30 a.m. the unit was taking a break and the dog, a Labrador, was being put into the back of a truck when he suddenly bolted and went over the edge of a ramp.

The dog fell about 55 feet to the ground and was taken to a local veterinary clinic where he died. Perot said the dog, used for detecting explosives, may have seen a pigeon and instinct took over and he jumped at the bird.

"This is a highly trained animal but sometimes you can't train the instinct out of them,'' she said.

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HoustonChronicle.com -- http://www.HoustonChronicle.com | Section: Front page
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The NBA should buy them a new dog.

Otherwise we tax payers will.

Dang they hate dogs, ban the atf do it for the animals.

$500 from every NBA player should cover it

That's a shame.  I'll bet that handler is going through hell right now.

Even the dog knows when to call it quits; must have been guilt.................


Just kidding!!!

I feel for the handler and the dog. Those dogs become part of their family just like kids. My friend is a K9 officer in my county and his dog is wonderful. If something happened to his dog he would be crushed.