Zoe the Police Dog
While police dogs are very common nowadays, this wasn’t always the case. One of the first dogs to be trained for the police force in Australia, Zoe the Police Dog along with the rest of her cohort soon rose to stardom, becoming a household name in Australia in the 1930s and ’40s.
A large, expensive manhunt was the catalyst to the creation of the dog force. The dog force consisting of mostly German Shepards, were used to assist in the search of missing individuals, cashing for criminals on the run, and to attack when given the command. Zoe was also reportedly the first dog in the world to work under radio command,
While Zoe and the rest of the squad had their duties on the front line, they were also used to increase public relations. Zoe was trained to do stunts at charity events, first appearing to drive a car, followed by a miniature tank, then a plane. She became a star in February of 1941 at the police carnival, when she appeared to drive a specially constructed remote controlled miniature car.
The Zoeplane Under Construction
The idea of a dog appearing to fly a plane came from Scotty Denhman and Eric Brown. Known as the Zoeplane, it was capable of taking off and landing with a wingspan of 5m and a fuselage of 6m. The charity fund-raising prop was connected to a long arm which revolved around a platform, using weights as counterbalance.
Zoe passed away in 1946 after serving in the dog force for over 10 years.
