Rusik was the firstStall, S. (2007) ''100 Cats Who Changed Civilization: History's Most Influential Felines'
p.166.
Quirk Books Retrieved January 2012 Russian police sniffer cat in

Stavropol Stavropol (; rus, Ставрополь, p=ˈstavrəpəlʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Stavropol Krai, Russia. As of the 2021 Census, its population was 547,820, making it one of Russia's fastest growing cities. It was known as ...

, a city near the

Caspian Sea The Caspian Sea is the world's largest inland body of water, often described as the world's largest lake or a full-fledged sea. An endorheic basin, it lies between Europe and Asia; east of the Caucasus, west of the broad steppe of Central Asia ...

. He made an important contribution in the search for hidden illegal cargoes of

Sturgeon Sturgeon is the common name for the 27 species of fish belonging to the family Acipenseridae. The earliest sturgeon fossils date to the Late Cretaceous The Late Cretaceous (100.5–66 Ma) is the younger of two epochs into which the Cretace ...

fish, an

endangered species An endangered species is a species that is very likely to become extinct in the near future, either worldwide or in a particular political jurisdiction. Endangered species may be at risk due to factors such as habitat loss, poaching and inv ...

, and

caviar Caviar (also known as caviare; from fa, خاویار, khâvyâr, egg-bearing) is a food consisting of salt-cured roe of the family Acipenseridae. Caviar is considered a delicacy and is eaten as a garnish or a spread. Traditionally, the ter ...

. Rusik began his sniffing career when he first appeared at a police checkpoint in 2002. Following his adoption by the staff, Rusik demonstrated his ability to sniff out sturgeon-smugglers' stashes with accuracy. His talent for sniffing out poached fish soon found him taking over the job of the police's canine team member. Rusik died in the line of duty on 12 July 2003, when he was hit by a car during an inspection, immediately after searching a bus.Allred, P.A. (2005) ''Cats' most wanted: the top 10 book of mysterious mousers, talented tabbies, and feline oddities'
p.55.
Potomac Books, Inc. Retrieved January 2012 He had apparently found smuggled sturgeon in the same car some time before, according to personnel at the police checkpoint. Some local sources expressed their belief that Rusik was the object of a

contract killing Contract killing is a form of murder or assassination in which one party hires another party to kill a targeted person or persons. It involves an illegal agreement which includes some form of payment, monetary or otherwise. Either party may be ...

, but this is highly unlikely. Rusik was a siamese with only a year's service at the time of his death. He died a few weeks after Barsik, another police cat who was poisoned with a mouse.

References

{{Reflist

External links

* BBC News
The purrfect crime fighter
' * BBC News
Fishy end for feline sleuth
' * ABC News
Curiosity kills sniffer cat: Rusik dies in line of duty
' Individual cats 2003 animal deaths Stavropol Law enforcement animals Working cats

See also

References

External links