Quincy
Bloodhound
Inducted November 2002
Owned by Keith Pikett
Nominated by Dr. Jock Collins
When most people think of a co-worker, they don’t normally think of the hairy, slobbering variety who wag their tails when greeting you and demand room on your waterbed when going to sleep. As Fort Bend County Deputy Sheriff Keith Pikett can attest, however, co-workers come in all shapes, sizes—and breeds. His partner, Quincy, a 5-year-old Bloodhound, has proven to be an outstanding police service dog and an integral part of the Fort Bend County Sheriff’s office.
Over the last year alone, Quincy has helped solve five homicide cases, two robberies and 98 burglaries. She has been involved in everything from arson investigations to missing persons cases to drug busts. To honor her achievements and contributions, Quincy was inducted into the Texas Animal Hall of Fame on Nov. 12, 2002.
Dr. Jock Collins, Quincy’s veterinarian, nominated Quincy for the Hall of Fame. He says the bond between Quincy and Pikett is what enables Quincy to perform her job so well.
"Truly skilled in her craft, Quincy has the overwhelming desire to gratify Keith by doing what she does best—finding the person that Keith has ‘scented’ her to locate. She has the uncanny ability to concentrate on the task at nose with focused attentiveness, eliminating distractions,” says Dr. Collins.
To get Quincy on the trail, Pikett “scents” Quincy on something associated with the person to be located, such as clothing, a cigarette, a cup, a doll, or a toy. Once scented, the race is on. Quincy begins to play her critical game, and she enjoys every minute of it. Pikett interprets what Quincy “tells” him through her body movements, stance, barking, pace, eye contact, head tilt, and other behaviors and follows her lead.
There are numerous examples of Quincy helping police apprehend criminals and locate missing persons. In July 2001, Quincy performed a scent pad line-up to identify a suspect in a four-and-a-half-year-old quadruple homicide investigation. The suspect’s guilt was later confirmed with a positive DNA analysis. A few months later, Quincy trailed a 3-year-old girl who had been missing for two hours, finding her sleeping in a backyard. Another time, Quincy located a suspect who had burglarized a home and severely beaten a person in the house. She trailed him through a subdivision to where he was hiding under a bridge.
Due to her excellent record, Quincy is only one of two dogs ever appointed as “expert witnesses” by the three-judge panel of the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals. Her actions also helped secure the 2002 Officer of the Year award from the 100 Club of Houston for Pikett. As long as these two are a team, they will continue to be successful, says Dr. Collins.
"Their communication skills are uncanny,” he says. “Quincy makes Keith look outstanding, and Keith makes Quincy look fantastic.”
