Our Handlers

Janet’s background is as a detector dog handler, senior handler, Canine Operations Supervisor and Airport Team Manager responsible for the Biosecurity Detector Dog teams from the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry that covered all the major international airports across New Zealand protecting our borders from 1997 – 2009. Janet was responsible for the selection, training, deployment, proficiency testing and operational management of up to 21 passive response dog teams across…

Noeline has come to NZDDS with over 14 years of experience as a specialist scent detector handler, working for the Ministry of Primary Industries from 2006 – 2020. While with MPI Noeline was both an Active Detector Dog handler and also a Passive Detector Dog handler, both highly specialised roles. Noeline worked at NZ’s international borders screening at passengers and cargo at the Ports, International Mail Centre, International Airports and…

Scott was a member of the NZ Police for over 31 years. Twenty-one of those years being a NZ Police Dog handler and Regional Training Sergeant in the Auckland Police Dog Section. During his 21 years of Police Dog handling experience, Scott trained and worked five General Purpose patrol dogs and also, served on the Armed Offenders Squad as a dog handler. In 2008 Scott was promoted to the Regional…

Sarah joins NZ Detector Dogs as NZ’s most experienced handler/trainer of Biosecurity Detector Dogs. From 2001-2015 Sarah has worked and trained specialist detector dogs for the Ministry of Primary Industries (MPI). In her time at MPI she was responsible for the sourcing, selection, training, and wellbeing of MPI’s Detector Dogs – ensuring their care and training was of the highest standards. Sarah was also responsible for the Initial training of…