Zoey: Junior Special Agent

Here's the story about how Zoey earned her Junior Special Agent badge.

On August 16th some US Fish and Wildlife agents I know were working a case involving a couple of people trying to sell the pelt of an endangered tiger.  The sellers were extremely paranoid and wanted to meet with the undercover agent beforehand and suggested a 10pm meeting.  I suppose they were thinking that federal agents wouldn't want to work late on a weekday.  Zoey's dad happened to be the undercover agent and, when he came home for dinner before the scheduled meeting, Zoey volunteered to go along.  She figured her harmless physique and pink collar and leash set would help diffuse any suspicion and that she could use her nose and not-so-sharp vision to smell and see any tigers in the area.  Besides, she really loves an evening car ride!

Zoey's dad thought the idea was pretty good.  These sellers were very suspicious and were very knowledgeable of the law and the fact that undercover agents were out there looking for this sort of thing.  In addition to taking two additional agents for backup and additional cover, Zoey was selected as a member of the team.

Dressed smartly in her pink collar, black ninja harness, and pink leash, Zoey bravely trotted into the meeting with the suspects along with her two agent partners.  When the tiger pelt was layed out on the floor for the agents to inspect, Zoey marched onto it and sniffed it to be sure it was genuine.  As the suspects began to quiz the agents about their identity and challenge their cover, the agents referred to Zoey as sure evidence that they were cops.  After all, everyone knows that law enforcement relies on Shih tzu tiger sniffing K9 units.  Zoey did her part by looking at them with her googly eyes and round, muppet-like face.  The suspects were disarmed and confused and allowed the agents to change the subject.  They tried a few more times but, each time, the agents used Zoey as evidence that their cover story was true.  In the end, the suspects agreed to sell the tiger pelt to the agents.

The deal was struck the next day and both suspects were busted as they exchanged the pelt for cash.  One of the suspects thought that throwing the tiger pelt into the bushes as takedown agents approached would save him.  It didn't.