Former police dog chases grime, not crime, in new job

ENGLAND: A 57kg former police dog is poised to be the latest weapon to be used to sniff out sewer-blocking fat, oil, and grease.

Hector the bloodhound has swapped a life of crime for one of grime by being trained to detect blockages on Southern Water’s 40,000km network of sewers.

The company, which serves Kent, Sussex, Hampshire, and the Isle of Wight, hopes to deploy Hector to sniff out problem areas through air gaps at ground level. His nose has 1,000 times more scent receptors than a human’s, and it is hoped he can be used to find some of the 17,000 blockages caused each year by fat, oil, grease, and wet wipes.