Last Anthrax-Sniffing Dog
Succumbs to Inhalation Anthrax
Washington, DC | Emotions are mixed as the district's Emergency Preparedness team anticipates giving a clean bill of health to the Brentwood postal facility. The general mood of relief and achievement is tempered by news that "Sgt. Speckles" died earlier this week.
The last of his kind, Speckles had been one of a dozen K-9 Specialists trained to detect the presence of microscopic trace elements. At the peak of last year's deadly anthrax incidents, the Center for Disease Control had not yet developed reliable technology to identify the lethal airborne particles.
While members of Congress were immediately evacuated to safety until their offices were thoroughly disinfected, and other Federal workers were supplied with a few rubber gloves, Speckles and his comrades served their heroic function, which would only have been hindered by protective gear.
An Environmental Protection Agency spokesperson said, "At the time, it would have taken several days to mobilize. The politicians sign all our paychecks, so we had to expedite. In retrospect, it probably wasn't such a good idea to send the dogs in to sniff around."
Sgt. Speckles is survived by 243 illegitimate offspring.
