BREVARD COUNTY, Fla. – For the past two years, K-9 Rosco and his handler, Brevard County Sheriff's Deputy Tyler Habart, have caught drug dealers and felons on the run and located missing Alzheimer's patients, thanks to Rosco's keen sense of smell.
"These dogs, their nose is extremely powerful, they can sense odors that you and I wouldn't imagine," Habart said. "It's something like 20,000 times more powerful than ours."
Rosco was trained in the Czech Republic to be a police dog and understand German.
Habart communicates with Rosco using German commands.
"He's always watching my back," Habart said. "Every time I get out of the car his eyes are on me. It's awesome to have that."
Recently, Habart pulled over a driver in Brevard County because of a broken taillight. Rosco immediately alerted Habart to drugs in the car.
Habart searched the car and discovered Oxycodone, Xanax, cannabis and two guns.
"There were convicted felons in the vehicle, one on the driver's side and one on the passenger's side. The guns were in the same location," Habart said.
One of the guns had been stolen during a burglary in Melbourne.
"Rosco took a couple of bad guys off the street. It's a good feeling," Habart said. "Otherwise, probably would have issued a written warning or citation and they would've been on their way."
Both suspects were charged with possession of drugs and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.