LUBEC, Maine — Washington County Sheriff Donnie Smith was taking his two dogs for a walk last Sunday morning along a beach behind Lubec’s public school complex when Ginger, a “retired” drug-sniffing golden retriever, disappeared.
“She always stays right by my side, so I thought it was strange that she disappeared,” Smith said Tuesday. “I called her, but she didn’t come.”
While searching for Ginger, Smith spotted a pickup truck parked on a beachside dead-end road. Parked next to it, with one paw up on the driver’s door, was Ginger. “That’s her signal,” Smith said.
Smith said there were two men inside the cab of the pickup. Given Ginger’s behavior, he presumed they were doing drugs.
When Smith — unarmed and lacking a cellphone to call for backup — approached the vehicle he said he saw the two men using syringes to inject what was later determined to be morphine.
Smith talked the two men out of the truck and used one of the men’s cellphones to summon a deputy.
Both from Lubec, the two men — Jesse Reed, 23, and Ian Campbell, 29 — were subsequently charged with drug possession. Smith said he offered to let both men walk if they would name the person who supplied the morphine. They declined, one saying he feared that he would be killed if he offered up a name. After being jailed, both made bail.
Smith said Ginger, now 10 years old, was a highly motivated drug dog between 2004 and 2008.
“I thought she had lost interest, but apparently not,” Smith said Wednesday. “I took her back to the same beach the next day, and she went to the same spot. I thought, don’t do that … you’re going to get me killed.”
Once a police dog, always a police dog….retirement is for wimpy dogs……way to go Ginger…..
i had the same thoughts. he may be retired but hey he can still nab a druggie !
Good girl, Ginger!
Golden Lab? Looks like a Golden Retriever to me. Is she a Golden Retriever/Yellow Lab mix? That mix that I’ve seen all had shorter fur.
hello? Do we really care? She did an amazing job!
I believe that is her breed of Golden Lab …Your do understand the Golden Retriever is a Lab breed right?
LR’s and GR’s are Retriever breeds, not Labrador breeds. Labradors I believe came from Newfoundland and Goldens came from Europe. Golden Lab’s are a cross between GR’s and LR’s.
Guess he must have put you away once.
Actually no, I have have never even been question by him or his team of punk cops.
Just a question, does it make you feel good to bash Donnie on these articles……and then rub elbows with him in the morning, hanging out at McFadden’s??
If I dont then he will have the goon squad patrol my yard and I dont want that. And no, I wish I could just like him, I have tried but I cant. When you know to much about someone it just chances things…
If you don’t rub elbows with Donnie you’ll have the “goon squad patrol in my yard”? Why?? If you’re not doing anything wrong, there would be no reason for them to be in your dooryard. It’s your choice not to like him for whatever reasons. But to continually bash him on every article there is about him, is just going to the extreme. I think everyone who posts on these articles, KNOW you don’t like him, so how ’bout backing off now?!
fair enough, but If I do recall, I did back him on his last photo op about the whole Lubec contract….but hey. Just my two cents and maybe a little more. Maybe I will back off a little. Everyone deserves, 2nd, 3rd and 4th chances…
Wellllll, not everyone, but some, I guess. You may have a personal gripe with him, but on the whole, I think he’s done a good job. He has met with some obstacles along the way……like finding out about the missing guns, the DEA agent and the CD. He seems to call it like it is and that seems to ruffle some peoples feathers. I think if he could, without some sort of repercussions, he would blow the lid off corruption with alot of law enforcement organizations. He vowed to be a peoples sheriff and I think he has accomplished that, for as far as he was “allowed”. And that’s my two cents.
fair enough but maybe you are little right on all aspects….thanks. Oh and bangor daily news I see like taking part in censorship. My two cents I know is only worth about 1 cent but that is typical BDN style. That is why I like NYtimes….
Read much?
I don’t know the man from Adam’s off ox – but he engaged the two men who were arrested.
“When Smith — unarmed and lacking a cellphone to call for backup — approached the vehicle he said he saw the two men using syringes to inject what was later determined to be morphine.Smith talked the two men out of the truck and used one of the men’s cellphones to summon a deputy.
Both from Lubec, the two men — Jesse Reed, 23, and Ian Campbell, 29 — were subsequently charged with drug possession. Smith said he offered to let both men walk if they would name the person who supplied the morphine. They declined, one saying he feared that he would be killed if he offered up a name. After being jailed, both made bail.”
He was unarmed. And he uses his real name.
But remember he did have a dog who probably would drop a man and bite so smart druggies not to resist regardless. Plus I bet he did not reveal to them he was unarmed.
Good job sheriff. You need to get the dealers, not the users. Every bit helps though and you did a good job, good luck going forward.
Sheriff Smith, please start carrying your cellphone!
And your sidearm!….just like the American Express card.
along with a gun, ya never know.
awesome story. I wish all the nay sayers would run along, always got to be a buzz kill . Good job Ginger, and Donnie! Keep them coming, get the losers off the streets!
Wait a minute! Humans had to teach that wonderful dog how to recognize the scent of illegal drugs and to alert his handler of his discovery. They work as a team and I say;”Job well done to both.”
You clearly don’t understand what a search is. Anything you can observe/detect from a public location is not a “search.”
Spoken like a true doper.
Yes, it is always the law-breakers who ask such questions-those who ask questions always have something to hide. The good people who never break the law have no issues with police practices.
~rolls eyes~
Yes, that’s precisely how good Germans behaved between 1933 and 1945.
Regular Joe, I have to disagree with “The good people who never break the law have no issue with police practices.” I’m not a chronic law breaker, but I do take issue with some chronic police practices. That said, kudos to Ginger and her owner/handler.
The ~rolls eyes~ at the end of Regular Joe’s post indicates sarcasm was used…
Yes, that was my patented sarcasm indicator! Sorry!
The dog didn’t search their vehicle or seize their property! The sheriff saw them using the syringes – the dog didn’t report it to the officer! I think if they are doing something illegal in plain view of a sheriff or anyone else who happens to pass by, they are asking to be caught. Good job Sheriff and extra treats for the pup!
How about taking the dog for a walk in Skowhegan,start on my street on a weekend night
Free Americans should be left alone
Come on Tom, that is a Golden Retriever not a Labrador Retriever.
“Golden lab” is a cross between a Golden Retriever and a Lab.
A Golden Lab is not a breed although colloquially it may be exactly what you have said. The dog in the photo looks like a Golden Retriever.
A law degree is NOT in your future!
Could you please change your “screen name” or move, you’re embarrassing the county.
Great thing about free speech, I dont care what you think
They are harmless??? Have you seen these junkies go back and forth to the damn clinic every morning?? Have you seen them drive, walk, talk? I HAVE! They are driving under the influence of drugs 24/7……and they steal from society to support their habit. If one of these junkies should happen to kill a member of YOUR family while operating under the influence, will you still take the “leave them alone, why bust them “attitude??
Well put olderandmellow. When they come from the clinic, they are all over the road. And on all of Maine’s benefits at the same time…at our expense. The Bat Signal is up in the sky…COME TO MAINE. FREE DOPE AND GROCERIES!
If you’re going to look at everything that way you better just cancel your faith in humanity all together then. Not all drug users are as stupid as others, some get rides to those clinics so that they can make it to their jobs every day to work probably more hours then most sober people just to support their kids that they don’t even get to see because the state has em for a prior drug offense. Nice job being judgmental and thinking stereotypically.
Morphine is not part of the regimen at the clinics.
I agree. Cigarette smokers cost us way more than the a junkie. Alcohol;ics cost us way more too. Those here who are being judgemental have no clue about who / what a junkie is. I’m guessing they get their information from Reader’s Digest and have a tea party mentality.
I agree with them and I have a junkie in my immediate family. YOU have no clue until you deal with one day in and day out. The teas are the only party with any common sense and it might do you some good to read the digest; maybe inform yourself of something truthful.
How about the junkies on welfare that smoke AND abuse alcohol. We have to pay for ALL of the above.
Yes, we do. We must take care of the weakest among us or we become non human. How many that you just described are probably vets? Why complain about taking care of the poor and weak? Isn’t that who jesus came for?
I have faith in humanity. I have no faith in junkies. I have to LOL at your comment about “Not all drug users are as stupid as others, some get rides to those clinics”……yup, mmhhmmmm, they sure do, then pile out of of a vehicle like clowns piling out of a clown car and each of them get their little transportation paper stamped, so they can all get reimbursed the travel pay! People who truly want to kick their habit, will do it under doctor guidance or go to a treatment program at such places as Acadia. The clinics (all government supported with OUR tax dollars) are just enabling the druggie to remain a druggie.
With you, mellow!
Yep. A life without penalty is what we have created for our youth.
walking and talking under the influence of alcohol isn’t illegal however driving is. Do you really care if people are at home drinking themselves to sleep everynight and killing their livers so long as they are of the roads? I don’t. So whats the difference with drugs? I agree to an extent that theft is common to pay for drugs at street prices. However if drugs were legal they could be regulated and taxed by the government and the prices would be far lower because we all know black market prices have a huge markup to account for the additional risk of moving products. I am not supporting drug use, I support anti-drug campaigns and education. However in the end if an adult chooses to destroy their mind and body with drugs that was their choice, why tie up tens of thousands of dollars of my tax money to arrest, prosecute, and incarcerate this hypothetical individual? Spend that money on my kids school or pave my road.
Right teach your kids to “Just say no”.
thats what I was taught in 5th grade dare. Then in 10th grade health education I was show what the drugs can actually do to me. I made the choice to not use hard drugs because I like my mental faculties and breathing.
“They are harmless???”
Yes, drug users are no more dangerous than alcoholics. We don’t lock up alcoholics, because, as long as they limit their anti-social conduct to consuming excess amounts of alcohol, they are hurting nobody but themselves.
” They are driving under the influence of drugs 24/7……and they steal from society to support their habit.”
Both of which are currently illegal, and should remain so. A rational society arrests people when their actions can or do harm others, not when their actions are offensive to a segment of society. There is no signifiant difference our War on Drugs and the Soviet Union sending people to Siberia for “counter-revolutionary” actions.
Drug users are no more dangerous than alcoholics? Have you ever seen someone on bath salts? There are far more assaults and murders committed by drug addicts than alcoholics. And we DO lock up alcoholics…..for OUI…..for killing people while OUI.
what are you talking about? go to any town or small city with an establishment who serves alcohol ask them when the last time the cops have come to take someone out who was drunk and disorderly. the stories of alcohol related violence and domestic abuse and DUI far outnumber those of bath salts and many don’t make the news because they arent a sensationalist report like “man on bath salts does *crazy thing number 34*”
Alcohol makes ppl extremely aggressive. Though not the most coordinated fighters drunks make a dangerous opponent because they are numb to pain and often are in a highly enraged state.
also you try to refute what homer obviously stated. Yes we do lock up alcoholics for DUI. However we don’t lock them up for merely being alchys. If they sit at home and drink themselves to death everynight we don’t bust down their door and haul them away.
So I get this right. You are saying Heroin should be legal?
Yes. Legal but regulated like booze. Also have the CDC or FDA publish unbiased information on the risks of heroin.
If it was legal would you use it? I am going to go out on a limb here and say no you wouldn’t because from all your posts you seam like a straight shooting square with at least a little common sense. Would I use hells no! But you know who would? The same junkies who have been using it for the past hundred years. Now instead of focusing on arresting people sitting in their homes hurting themselves and all the costs that goes into that we can put that money elsewhere to help encourage economic growth.
Have you ever tried to operate anything while on morphine? I had it one time for a broken bone and knew I was not driving my car home.
Doing morphine once, is absolutely nothing like doing it on a regular basis. You know some people cant even drive after a cigarette because they don’t smoke regularly? God some people just don’t have common sense about substance use…
I don’t believe common sense and substance abuse belong in the same sentence. That’s just dumb. Lock them up!
Ya, and you can then complain about having to take care of a couple of losers. That should make you feel good about yourself.
Cop walks up on a public road (without a dog) and observes drug use in plain sight …. Lawful arrest. Cop walks up and sees dog at truck and observes drug use in plain sight …. Lawful arrest. They should save their money for more drugs when they get out as a lawyer won’t help. Plead guilty and live to tell …. oh and study in jail for better hiding spots than on a public roadway as we live in Maine there are plenty of trees to hide behind.
Fair enough….
Well said aroostooklauri!!!
Way to go Ginger!!!
Well, they tried to interview her, but woof, woof, ruff didn’t make much of a story. Quiturbichin, this is more newsworthy than half the stories they print.
Well, according to the story, the sheriff saw the men injecting themselves. That’s your cause right there. It’s irrelevant that the dog led him there, as the dog was not, by any account, on either man’s property. The activity was in plain sight. It doesn’t matter that the sheriff had to walk right up to the vehicle.
Who were they hurting in that deserted area? I hate to see my tax dollars wasted babysitting losers. If they aren’t hurting anybody let them be.
When they rob your house and/or kill a member of your family while driving under the influence of drugs, perhaps you’ll change your tune. And it’s not that much of a “deserted area”. There are houses around, kids playing nearby….oh yeah……and Lubec customs!
So are you saying it’s time for the “thought police?” Arrest people before they commit the crime? Have you read “1984?”
I may not be the brightest star in the sky, but how does “he saw the two men using syringes to inject what was later determined to be morphine.” equate to ‘Arrest[ing] people before they commit the crime”?
It was in response to olderandmellow’s comment where it appeared that the thing to do is arrest people before they rob and kill.
No your not. I was commenting on the comment not the article.
You are not the brighest star. What legal substance would someone be using a syringe to inject themselves? Geesh!
Sounds like a job for the Bureau of Pre-Crime!
Please read older and mellow’s response. They are affecting the rest of us.
How? They were sitting in the truck not hurting anyone but themselves.
How are these two affecting you exactly?
Yes and sitting in a truck they were. Obviously not near their homes so when they are finished “shooting up” they are going to drive said truck on the road. Do I really need to explain the rest?
Again- pre-crime. They had not begun driving so that hadn’t committed that crime.
You could only be excused from such a moronic response if you were maybe five years old.
Ginger is awesome!
The dog found them, but she can’t TALK. Quite frankly, I’m glad Donnie told the media, as there were many rumors going around. Donnie is doing his job as are the officers working for him. They are doing what they were trained to do, (same as Ginger) and what they are being paid to do. You are probably one of the ones who complains about the drug problem in Lubec and when the WCSD do their job, you’re still complaining.
ok…you got me…LOL
Just wish he would direct his officer here more because of the burglaries…
“Oh boy! Oh boy oh boy oh boy! Only one thing smells like morphine and that’s morphine!“
great take on wicked funny commercials. Thanks. :)
I think the search was legal Patten. Ginger, being retired, was not acting as a law enforcement officer. Therefore she didn’t conduct a search. She was merely acting out behaviors which would reward her with a treat.
When the real Officer approached to retrieve his pet the suspects behavior created the probably cause, not Ginger.
I do agree on the leash law. If the town of Lubec has a leash law in effect then a violation entry should be made in the personal file of Ginger’s handler.
Well, that brings up an interesting point. Can an ordinary citizen do legal searches where a law enforcement officer cannot? Would such a “search” stand?
I would say yes, citizen arrest is recognized in almost all states. But, I dont know Maine and I dont know if it would be that safe. Smith had on his side, a good mouth, and is know to be law enforcement so if they thought of doing anything they thought maybe they should make it worse.
“Ginger, being retired, was not acting as a law enforcement officer. Therefore she didn’t conduct a search.”
This is a load of tripe. A drug dog hitting on an individual is worthless without additional evidence to justify a search.
This is a legal bust because the dog led the officer to a place where he observed the individuals committing an illegal act. If the dog had led the officer to someone’s house, there would have been no arrests.
As a resident of Lubec, many people walk their dogs on the beach without a leash to let the dogs roam free. How about we stop picking at a minuscule thing such as a leash, and accept that these people were doing drugs out in the public. A citizens arrest very well could have been done, and if it had been I walking my dog on the beach, I would’ve called the cops myself! Knowing the younger kid, he probably would’ve let me take pictures for proof!
One said he feared giving up the name of the person supplying the morphine, because he would be killed. Just what do you think you’re doing to YOURSELF??
I think a slow death due to drug use that makes you feel good is more desirable than being murdered by a drug dealer who probably won’t make you feel good he’s killing you.
They are be perfectly harmless. While they’re taking from you, everything a pawn shop will take from them.. Hmmm?
“They are be perfectly harmless. While they’re taking from you”
Stealing is not harmless. Your logic is incredibly flawed.
Dog found them. The man manned up. I can read. Dog signaled. He walked up and saw what was going on. He engaged them. I think he’s crazy good – I sure as heck would have gotten out of Dodge.
What on earth is your problem? Oh. Wait.
You would walk up and ask people shooting up – and you are unarmed – and get them to surrender… and you don’t know if they are armed or not.
I, sir, bow down. Your awesome reeks. Really. It reeks.
——–
”
I am sure that the dog lacks training, certification and records to prove his worthiness….in TODAYS court.” Doesn’t matter – he was clued in and busted them. And I feel bad for them – they need help but so it goes.
Thought this was gonna turn into a story about them busting a couple of stoners on a beach for a second…glad they caught actual drug users.
These guys were near a school! That’s enough for me to think this bust was 100% legit. Dirty needles could be improperly disposed of as well, especially dangerous where children could be playing.
Im suprised those guys didnt tell him to pound sand!! LOL.But at least they were nice to let him use the cellphone.This situation could of got messy uno,two against one..job well done!!
“off duty”
How do you tell a dog that she is retired? Maybe he should be more prepared on future walks.
Unarmed, and yet talked two druggies out of their truck, arrested them, hauled them in–commendable!
Yeah, druggies are such rough tough people. Not!
Actually, some of them are. They buy their drugs from the under-belly of society. I doubt they hang out with the boy scouts the rest of the time.
I know druggies are not rough and tough….Thank god they did not leave Donnie and Ginger in a burning truck or stabbed and left in the woods. Must be because these druggies are from Maine and not from out of state?
I’m sorry, but in my opnion, the sheriff or our county (Wasington County) should always be carrying his sidearm and a cell phone. Talk about being unprepared. The sheriff, as the county’s lead law enforcemnet officer, should always be prepared. Let’s face it, in this day and age he could have been seriously hurt or even killed.
Sheriff Smith, this is not the same Maine that it used to be , always carry your gun and espicially you’re cell phone with you. Good job Ginger! You might think she is retired, Ginger is going to keep the same behavior she was trained to do.
wow how irresponsible of an off duty officer of the law to be unarmed. If you have the training and the tools to defend yourself and others not to mention the legal means then you have an obligation to carry. lucky they were just booting morphine and not meth or pcp or w/e and didn’t tweak out.
Ginger is a good girl…go Ginger. She probably saved a life that day!
That’s a little harsh….stay positive!
Donnie Smith…the most well respected law enforcement officer in Maine. Maine would be lost without his leadership. I am sure you could find many to agree with me…one anyway,
I agree…..even if he was off duty….he is a very caring person, love his community
and deserves better than some of these folks who choose to belittle him at every turn….thank you Donnie for just being you! Give that dog a nice big biscuit!
You have quite the imagination.
Can’t someone have an opposing opinion without being called names?
Didn’t see what Michael said and BDN I dont need you to apply censorship so I dont “take my ball and go home” b/c someone doesn’t like my opinion. Thats the great thing about the U.S. Try reading the comments in California…they are bruttle. So, dont need you to be my guardian angle BDN
O.k., Dudley Do Right. Their names were posted in the article. Why don’t you find them, and and see what you can do to help them.
I’m not the one out there saving society from two junkies: this officer was. He is getting paid to do it. Putting them in jail for being users does nothing.
Nah, actually Donnie Smith, The Sheriff, ISN’T getting paid to do this work in his hometown. Last I knew Loserbec backed away from county coverage.
…And this wasn’t exactly an emergency.
Lubec is part of Washington County, so therefore, Lubec is STILL covered by the WCSD. Lubec just doesn’t have MORE coverage that they had with a contract. So, yes, Donnie IS getting paid to do this work in his hometown. He gets paid a salary, not by the hour, like the officers in his department are. And I think you can do without the name calling……just shows what YOUR mentality is!
Lubec didn’t back away from county coverage. The contract they had with the sheriff’s dept wasn’t renewed. The contract gave Lubec coverage on a regular basis, for a certain amount of hours a week. Now Lubec is getting the same coverage as all the other towns in Washington County, instead of more.
Good Dog!! Brave man!! Commendable Combination
Speaking of sense, clearly the dog has a lot more of it than you do.
Maybe I missed it… but wasn’t it near a school? Hopefully they were charged for being close to a school. Junkies are not known for disposing they’re needles properly. Hopefully no children stumble across one. Good work Ginger and Sheriff Smith!
There is a school nearby…….but not within the proximity of being illegal to have drugs near one. You have to walk through the willywags to get to the school.
And obviously sending them to the clinic worked???? They both go to the clinic every morning, like clock work. If there is one thing a junkie will faithfully do, is go to the damn clinic every morning.
Yep, on the tax payers dime too.
are you for real?
Harmless? You’re kidding, right?!
Great story!!!
I am surprised that the BDN printed that the fact that Donnie said to the Junkies, “give me a name of the supplier and I will let you walk”. WALK!!!!
Unusual police work.
They’re already out of jail and walking. What’s the difference?
If a guy can be walking down the road walking his dog and innocently stumble upon heroin users in his town I would say there is some serious drug users and activity going on in that town. I am sure Donny Smith, (being LE and all) must have a relationship with the MDEA. Maybe he could call in the experts (MDEA) to put a task force together to clean up that city before it gets much much worse. Donnie the number to the MDEA is, ah, I bet you have it.
Ginger is a beautiful dog and smart also.
Should he or should he not be armed off duty? Either way, he did the arrests…..what I think is great is he used their phone to call for assistance! Now their phone reflect “they” called the cops. The only thing missing was him ordering them to call 911 ………..
……Donnie learned he should have let Ginger ask them for the dealers name……if you know what I mean ; )
I did not realize morphine is a drug detected by K-9’s.
Awesome sniffing power. WOW! Morphine in a syringe, in a vehicle. The many aromas in Ginger’s world would be mind boggling to a human. Heck…. I get a cold, and can barely smell the food on my plate. I find this story amazing. Probably the 2 “sacked” druggies feel differently.
Great job Mr. Smith, keep up the great work..
BTW the picture of this woman cracks me up when I see it..They stuck it at the bottom of this article/
http://bangor-launch.newspackstaging.com/2012/07/12/news/midcoast/chief-suffers-dog-bite-in-driving-arrest/
atta girl, ginger!
I especially liked the part where the sheriff used the junkies phone to call police. Sounds like a scene from World’s Dumbest Criminals.
Worst thing is, my comments below caused a big stiff and gave Smith more lime light for him….when will I ever learn :))