MICHIGAN (WSVN) – A special dog known for her exceptional sense of smell will be recognized by the American Kennel Club.
The dog, named Maple, will recieve the award alongside her owner, Dr. Sue Stejskal, who has worked with Maple for over a decade.
“She does whatever I ask her to do, and she does it with such enthusiasm and finesse,” said Stejskal.
First, Maple served as a “bed bug detection dog”. Then, Maple spent years using her nose to solve cold cases with the St. Joseph County’s Sheriff’s Office in Michigan.
After she retired from the force, Maple has been spending the past year and a half using her skills to save honeybees.
“She’s not the first one, but it’s the first one that has been documented & there you are!” said Stejskal.
Stejskal has teamed up with researchers at Michigan State to train Maple to find highly contagious bacteria that are destructive to honeybee larvae.
Stejskal is working on finishing a training guide to help train other dogs to track down the bacteria.
According to the US Fish and Wildlife Service, it is estimated that as much as 35 percent of the world’s food crops depend on animal pollinators to reproduce.
“She’s just, she’s just an incredible dog.” said Stejskal.
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