Canine Central
Aurora is a female yellow Labrador retriever born on September 20, 2013. She graduated from the Central Intelligence Agency’s Explosives Detection Canine School in June of 2015. Aurora is imprinted (trained to detect) trace amounts of explosives. She was selected and donated to Loudoun County through Mike Stapleton Associates (MSA) Security. Aurora’s handler is Captain Leif Sundberg and when she is not working, she enjoys playing with her buddy Thor.
Aurora and Thor are trained explosives detection canines. Explosive Detection Canine Teams include a highly trained detection dog and a law enforcement handler. These teams conduct searches for a variety of explosive materials near building exteriors, parking lots, office areas, vehicles, packages, and people. They also provide a strong visible and psychological deterrent against criminal and terrorist threats. The teams are available to assist federal, state, and local law enforcement partners.
Dolley served as an accelerant detection canine from April 2014 until October 25, 2021. During her service for LC-CFRS, she worked out of the Fire Marshal’s Office with her handler, Captain Bud Herndon. In just over seven years of service, she worked 126 fire scenes, not including daily training requirements. Her work ranged from open area searches to commercial buildings and everything in between. In those seven years, she and Captain Herndon deployed on two National Response Team callouts and assisted federal, state and local agencies in Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia. She was featured in a National Geographic children’s book titled Dolley the Fire Dog, which is sold around the world, educating children on fire safety concepts through a “day in the life” perspective.