A new bill under consideration by the legislature would give K-9 officers trained to find electronic storage devices the same protections as other police dogs. Under Idaho law, physically harming or killing a police dog — or horse — is a felony. House Bill 654 would amend the existing text to include dogs that can smell electronics (ESD).
Badger, an enthusiastic black Labrador, joined Idaho’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) last March. On Tuesday, he visited the legislature with his handler, investigator Lauren Lane who testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee
“[ESD dogs] are trained to detect that compound. Triphenylphosphine oxide that's sprayed on circuit boards to prevent overheating. It's a unique scent that is only located in electronic storage devices,” she said.
Trained canines like Badger can smell the compound even when buried or underwater, and are used to search for devices that may contain child sexual abuse material.
“These can include things like flash drives, cell phones, AirTags, hidden cameras, and other such things,” Lane said. “I have been partnered with ESD K-9 Badger since March of 2025, and we've been deployed on 37 search warrants.”
Lane reported good boy Badger was able to locate devices that were either missed by investigators or hidden by suspects on about half of those search warrants.
The bill was unanimously sent to the floor for further consideration.
