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CNN Saturday Morning News

Interview with Cindy Grob

Aired August 23, 2003 - 09:54   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a couple months ago we introduced you to Crazy Joe. He's a drug-sniffing dog who was competing to represent the United States in the Canine World Heroes Tribute. Well, we promised to bring you the winner. And guess what? It is Crazy Joe. And he's in New York right now with his friend and mother, Cindy Grob, a canine enforcement officer from the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.
And Crazy Joe, what a good-looking dog. Hey, it almost wasn't like this. He was rescued from a shelter.

CINDY GROB, CANINE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, BUREAU OF CUSTOMS BORDER PROTECTION: Yes, he was rescued from an animal shelter in Augusta, Georgia, where I'm -- if we didn't come along and procure him, more than likely, he probably would have been put to sleep. And, I mean, it's a shame that, you know, a dog like this was probably abandoned down there. And, you know, we came along, and here he is.

VAUSE: Tell us about his history. What has he done? He's found about $11 million in drugs in the last, what, six years?

GROB: Actually, just in the year and a half alone with me, and at JFK International Airport, we -- he's already sniffed out $12.3 million in narcotics, mostly -- and that's mostly cocaine and heroin.

VAUSE: Wow. So how does he find the drugs? It's a game you guys play, isn't it?

GROB: Yes. We have a rolled up terrycloth towel, which -- it's just a plain old rolled-up towel. And he associates that towel with the odor of narcotics. He thinks that towel is in the suitcase, or cargo, or wherever that narcotic odor is coming out of. And he'll -- he's a positive response dog, so he bites and scratches until he gets his towel out of there.

VAUSE: I can imagine. Now, tell us about what qualities Crazy Joe had that made him top dog.

GROB: Well, all of the seizures that he's gotten over the years, plus, he's a demo dog, which means he puts on demonstrations for school-aged children to teach them about the dangers of narcotics. If I went in there and just spoke to them, you know, a week later, they might forget.

But, you know, if he goes in there, and he puts on this demonstration, you know, school-aged children really look up to him. And years from now, maybe when they're offered drugs or something, you know, hopefully they'll remember Crazy Joe, and they'll say no, and they'll turn it down, and you know, he'll save the kids' lives.

VAUSE: He started training for this job a little late in life, didn't he?

GROB: No, he trained -- he started training when he was a year -- maybe a year and a half old...

VAUSE: Oh, OK.

GROB: But he gets training aids every day to keep him proficient. Training initially lasts 13 weeks.

VAUSE: So what does he actually get for being the top dog, the number one hero canine?

GROB: Well, he received this medal right here from the Commissioner Bonner (ph), who's the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. He also got his paw prints enshrined in cement, and it -- which is -- it's kind of -- it's created like a canine walk of fame.

VAUSE: Right. Does he know he's top dog? Is he now, like, difficult to work with? Does he want a trailer or anything like that?

GROB: No. Not at all. Actually, he's a ham. He's loving every minute of this press.

VAUSE: And what's it like working with Crazy Joe, though? You've been partners for, you said, about a year or so, or for the whole six years?

GROB: Yes, he's, I mean, he's really energetic, enthusiastic. I mean, he's -- you know, he just loves to work. He's not here because he has to be here. He's -- he goes out there every day because he wants to do the job, he wants to take these drugs off our streets.

VAUSE: OK. He's a good-looking dog, that's all I can say.

GROB: Yes.

VAUSE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) he was a rescue.

GROB: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

VAUSE: OK, Cindy Grob there in New York with Crazy Joe, the top dog of the year. And it was Mark Twain who said, "The more I know about people, the better I like dogs." Thank you, Cindy.

GROB: You're welcome. Thanks for having us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com






Aired August 23, 2003 - 09:54   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
JOHN VAUSE, CNN ANCHOR: Well, a couple months ago we introduced you to Crazy Joe. He's a drug-sniffing dog who was competing to represent the United States in the Canine World Heroes Tribute. Well, we promised to bring you the winner. And guess what? It is Crazy Joe. And he's in New York right now with his friend and mother, Cindy Grob, a canine enforcement officer from the Bureau of Customs and Border Protection.
And Crazy Joe, what a good-looking dog. Hey, it almost wasn't like this. He was rescued from a shelter.

CINDY GROB, CANINE ENFORCEMENT OFFICER, BUREAU OF CUSTOMS BORDER PROTECTION: Yes, he was rescued from an animal shelter in Augusta, Georgia, where I'm -- if we didn't come along and procure him, more than likely, he probably would have been put to sleep. And, I mean, it's a shame that, you know, a dog like this was probably abandoned down there. And, you know, we came along, and here he is.

VAUSE: Tell us about his history. What has he done? He's found about $11 million in drugs in the last, what, six years?

GROB: Actually, just in the year and a half alone with me, and at JFK International Airport, we -- he's already sniffed out $12.3 million in narcotics, mostly -- and that's mostly cocaine and heroin.

VAUSE: Wow. So how does he find the drugs? It's a game you guys play, isn't it?

GROB: Yes. We have a rolled up terrycloth towel, which -- it's just a plain old rolled-up towel. And he associates that towel with the odor of narcotics. He thinks that towel is in the suitcase, or cargo, or wherever that narcotic odor is coming out of. And he'll -- he's a positive response dog, so he bites and scratches until he gets his towel out of there.

VAUSE: I can imagine. Now, tell us about what qualities Crazy Joe had that made him top dog.

GROB: Well, all of the seizures that he's gotten over the years, plus, he's a demo dog, which means he puts on demonstrations for school-aged children to teach them about the dangers of narcotics. If I went in there and just spoke to them, you know, a week later, they might forget.

But, you know, if he goes in there, and he puts on this demonstration, you know, school-aged children really look up to him. And years from now, maybe when they're offered drugs or something, you know, hopefully they'll remember Crazy Joe, and they'll say no, and they'll turn it down, and you know, he'll save the kids' lives.

VAUSE: He started training for this job a little late in life, didn't he?

GROB: No, he trained -- he started training when he was a year -- maybe a year and a half old...

VAUSE: Oh, OK.

GROB: But he gets training aids every day to keep him proficient. Training initially lasts 13 weeks.

VAUSE: So what does he actually get for being the top dog, the number one hero canine?

GROB: Well, he received this medal right here from the Commissioner Bonner (ph), who's the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. He also got his paw prints enshrined in cement, and it -- which is -- it's kind of -- it's created like a canine walk of fame.

VAUSE: Right. Does he know he's top dog? Is he now, like, difficult to work with? Does he want a trailer or anything like that?

GROB: No. Not at all. Actually, he's a ham. He's loving every minute of this press.

VAUSE: And what's it like working with Crazy Joe, though? You've been partners for, you said, about a year or so, or for the whole six years?

GROB: Yes, he's, I mean, he's really energetic, enthusiastic. I mean, he's -- you know, he just loves to work. He's not here because he has to be here. He's -- he goes out there every day because he wants to do the job, he wants to take these drugs off our streets.

VAUSE: OK. He's a good-looking dog, that's all I can say.

GROB: Yes.

VAUSE: (UNINTELLIGIBLE) he was a rescue.

GROB: Yes, (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

VAUSE: OK, Cindy Grob there in New York with Crazy Joe, the top dog of the year. And it was Mark Twain who said, "The more I know about people, the better I like dogs." Thank you, Cindy.

GROB: You're welcome. Thanks for having us.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com