Airport News

Green, OH: Able to detect up to 19,000 scents leading to explosives, Summit County Sheriff K-9s, Cori and Harley, help keep Akron-Canton Airport (CAK) and Summit County safe. The bomb detecting dogs were sworn in today at the airport by Sheriff Drew Alexander. The dynamic duo also wowed the crowd; proudly demonstrating their explosively strong sense of smell.

Cori, a 3-year-old English Labrador Retriever, is permanently assigned to detect explosives at CAK. She was generously donated by the Timken Foundation. Her buddy, Harley, a 4-year-old, chocolate Labrador Retriever, patrols all of Summit County and backs up Cori at CAK if needed. The dogs undergo 12-weeks of intense training and then are state certified before being able to be sworn in. They learn nine basic compounds leading them to detect up to 19,000 different scents such as powders, plastic, dynamite and TNT. This in turn leads them to find thousands of different types of explosives. Deputy Sheriff Brian Cutlip trains Cori while Deputy Sheriff Mike Jones is Harley's handler.

"Cori and Harley are important part of our exceptional security enhancements at CAK," said President & CEO Rick McQueen. "We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Summit County Sheriff Office's for training and caring for these special dogs and to the Timken Foundation, for their generous support of the K-9 program."

"We are deeply grateful to the airport and the Timken Foundation for their commitment to our K-9 program," added Sheriff Drew Alexander. "Cori has become more than a deputy to us; she is part of our close-knit law enforcement family. Our success in protecting the public is inextricably tied to the deep support we receive from the community and from organizations like the Timken Foundation. We would not be able to uphold the high level of security the community has come to expect from the Department without these important community based partnerships."

According to Cutlip and Jones, Cori and Harley, were selected to become bomb-detecting K-9s because they are driven, high-spirited dogs. Both dogs and handlers receive continuous training throughout their career. Cori and Harley patrol the airport four to five days a week and as needed. You can view photos of Cori and Harley's swearing-in ceremony on CAK's Flickr page at www.flickr.com/akroncantonairport.