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Report nowA lost wedding ring in the snow, a missing hearing aid, or stolen goods in the bushes: Police dog Tarek from the Zurich City Police has long been used for more than just chasing criminals. Handler Fabio Gandolfi explains the surprising tasks the “super nose” takes on in everyday city life.
“People always assume that a protection dog only searches for criminals,” says service dog handler Fabio Gandolfi of the Zurich City Police. But that is only one aspect of Tarek’s work.
The four-year-old Airedale Terrier has a special mission: He works with Sergeant Gandolfi as a protection and drug detection dog for the Zurich City Police.
Among the most unusual assignments are search operations for private individuals. “Someone once called to find their hearing aid,” Gandolfi recounts.
Police dog handler Fabio Gandolfi of the Zurich City Police with Tarek—the sniffer dog for all occasions.
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The most curious case, however, was a lost wedding ring in the snow. The dogs can also track down lost keys. The prerequisite is that the person involved has a rough idea of where they were. Anyone who loses an item can report it to the city police. If the workload allows, a search will be initiated.
The dogs are also regularly deployed in criminal cases. After break-ins or thefts, perpetrators often drop items while fleeing.
“We find everything—from jeans and coins to cell phones and IDs,” says Gandolfi.
The dogs also help with large-scale checks and securing crime scenes. Their mere presence can be effective. “When a dog barks, it can be very intimidating.”
As a drug detection dog, Tarek doesn’t just search for narcotics. Time and again, he also comes across stolen goods. “It happens that we’re actually done, and the dog suddenly alerts us to something else.” Once, Tarek even found a cell phone stolen in Bern in some bushes.
According to Gandolfi, the success of a search depends on various factors. Often, the decisive factor is how quickly the response teams arrive on the scene.
Operations in major cities like Zurich are particularly demanding. In crowds, trams, and other forms of public transportation, suspects can quickly disappear or go into hiding.
Gandolfi recalls a pickpocketing incident at a jewelry store near Paradeplatz. The perpetrators had stolen a gemstone worth around 200,000 francs without being noticed. The police dog was initially able to pick up the scent but lost it at Paradeplatz. “That’s where all the trams run. That’s the problem we’re grappling with.”
It takes a long time for a dog like Tarek to be ready for duty. Training begins as early as nine weeks of age. After a year, an aptitude test follows, then the actual training and adaptation to working in the city. In total, the training takes about three years.
Not every dog is suited for this. The city police primarily use classic working dog breeds. These include German and Belgian Shepherds, Giant Schnauzers, Dobermans, and—for now—a Rottweiler or Airedale Terrier like Tarek. Starting in early 2025, Rottweilers will no longer be permitted in the canton of Zurich, which is why the police will not deploy any more dogs of this breed after the current one.
For Gandolfi, Tarek is already his third service dog. “The biggest challenge for dog handlers is to lower their expectations,” he says. Dogs don’t always work the way you imagine they will. Gandolfi laughs and strokes Tarek’s fur.
The next challenge awaits the duo in early July. At the Swiss Army Dog Championships, Tarek will take his first competitive service dog exam. “We have no podium ambitions,” says Gandolfi. “Our goal is to pass the exam and gain experience.”
You can see how dog handler Fabio Gandolfi and Tarek track down hidden money in the video above.
In “Supernase Tarek” (Wörterseh Verlag), author Frank Baumann tells the story of police dog Tarek—from puppyhood to his first assignments. Baumann had been carrying the idea of profiling a police dog around with him for quite some time. In Tarek and dog handler Fabio Gandolfi, he found the duo he could follow over an extended period—thanks in part to the support of the Zurich City Police, who welcomed the project.
