Utah’s police ‘porn-sniffing dog’ called ‘URL’ dies at age 7

Utah’s celebrated “porn-sniffing” police dog, named “URL,” has died just shy of his eighth birthday, less than a year after his retirement from the force, officials announced.

The Weber County Sheriff’s Office shared the sad news on Facebook Thursday, revealing that URL “untimely” passed away on Dec. 30 while in the care of his original handler, Detective Cameron Hartman, of the Webster County Attorney’s Office.

The very good boy’s cause of death was not immediately released.

URL was only the fourth dog in the US to be certified and trained as an Electronic Storage Detection Canine. Over the course of his law enforcement career, the four-legged officer took part in the execution of more than 2,000 arrest warrants, sniffing out countless pieces of digital evidence leading to the arrests of suspects often implicated in child sexual abuse and phonography cases.

The sheriff’s office highlighted some of URL’s most “remarkable” finds, including a USB drive disguised as a key on a keyring full of keys, a micro-SD card hidden inside a closed baby jar in a cluttered pencil box that was inside a large cedar chest, an SD card resting on a high shelf, a cellphone jammed into a book, and even cellphone parts that were stashed in a wall behind a jailhouse toilet.

URL was not bred to be a police dog and had a rough start in life, having been born a “pound puppy” and bouncing between animal shelters and foster homes during the first few months of his life, according to the sheriff’s office.

Initially, URL was deemed to be untrainable because of behavior issues, but the Central Indiana Labrador Rescue & Adoption recognized the pup’s “unique talents and drive,” and set out to find the right setting for him, which ultimately led the pup to the then-fledgling nationwide Electronic Storage Detection Canine training program.

Unlike other types of K-9 dogs, which are rewarded with play time or a toy for their work, electronic storage-sniffing dogs like URL are rewarded with food — an unusual approach that takes advantage of the dog’s natural drive and sense of hunger to help motivate him to locate the sought items.

After coming to work for the Weber County Sheriff’s Office in Utah in 2016, URL was placed with Detective Hartman, who was tasked with incorporating training into each of his furry partner’s feedings, and conducted training searches multiple times a day.

URL’s exploits and his vivid nickname — “the porn-sniffing dog” — attracted much media attention over the years, including appearances on CNN and the longest-running reality TV show, “Cops,” in 2017.

During his time on the force, URL and his handler worked with nearly every local law enforcement department, as well as state and federal agencies, including the Utah Attorney General’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, FBI’s Federal Child Exploitation Task Force and the US Department of Homeland Security.

URL retired from the force in Jan. 2022 and spent the final months of his life with Hartman, who penned a moving tribute to his companion last week.

“What a privilege it was to serve alongside you. ‘URL’ my heart is broken and still filled with so many memories and emotions,” the detective wrote. “I am so lucky to have been able to get to know you and serve the citizens of Utah and its surrounding states with you.”

“So many incredible experiences and opportunities that you brought me as I was just the guy at the boring end of the leash holding on for dear life,” Hartman added. “You were always there for me as I benefited from your talent in helping to catch some of the wolves that live among us.”

“I don’t take any of the time you gave me for granted. It’s been an unbelievable honor to have been the largest part of your unstable life. I will miss you terribly until I get to see you again.”