Rescued Rico now an expert pet detective

A STRAY dog that was saved from 'death row' has become an expert pet detective - by sniffing out lost animals.

- JORDAN COUSSINS News Reporter

Rico was two days away from being put down before kindhearted Rachel Rodgers paid £150 to rescue him from a Portuguese dog pound.

Rachel, who runs a dog training school, took Rico in and was amazed to discover his incredible sniffing skills.

Within months, Rico’s nose was being used to track down lost pets and animals which had escaped from their enclosures, including a capybara.

Rico would be given a blanket or chew toy to smell which he would then use to locate the area where the animals had been most recently. In some cases, Rico was even given the lost animal’s poo in order to pick up a trail.

Rachel, 36, from Whitchurch, Shropshire, is preparing to mark ten years since she gave Rico a second chance of life and over the years the Kokini dog has taken part in more than 20 rescues.