Roscoe, the World-Famous Bedbug-Sniffing Dog, Is “Just a Regular Guy”

Today the New York Times chronicles a situation born out of fear, and money, and hope; a situation that we hope none of you ever have to face. That situation is wondering if the ton of cash you’ve spent on your bedbug-sniffing dog is worth it.

Cute, diligent and armed with highly sophisticated detection tools — their noses — these dogs are fast becoming the American equivalent of the St. Bernard rescuing the snowbound in the Alps,

muses the Times. And, obviously, commercials say they work! But…do they really? And are they worth $11,000?

Truthfully, we don’t care too much about the answer to this question, because even if we had $11,000, AND bedbugs, we probably wouldn’t spend that money on a bedbug-sniffing dog. (If you do care, the brief answer is: the jury’s still out.)

What did get us interested was the identification of a certain bedbug sniffer named Roscoe, who is so famous he has not only a Facebook page but also an iPhone app, and — the true test of celebrity — “fellow beagles often get mistaken for him on the street”!

Who is this Roscoe? we wondered. What is he about?

Here are some facts, via his Facebook page. Roscoe may be more of a straight-shooter, even, than Lassie:

• He is an extrovert! “I enjoy being outside and meeting new people!”
• He really loves his job, and has what you might call a Protestant work ethic, if you really have to bring religion into it. “I love working at Bell Environmental and sniffing out bed bugs.”
• In fact, quite the workaholic. “I have completed 100s of inspections for bed bugs in people’s apartments, houses, offices, hospitals, and hotels.”
• Yet he comes from humble beginnings, and had to pull himself up by his bootstraps. “I was rescued from a pound in Florida and trained at the Florida Canine Academy to be a bed bug detection dog. Now, I work with my certified dog handler, Peter, to locate bed bugs before they become an overwhelming infestation.”
• Bedbugs appealed to his laid-back nature. “Other majors at the academy are arson, bomb and drug detection…these seemed a little too risky.”
• He is way more famous than you. “This past July I appeared on Animal Planet. I am in 3 TV-commercials that run in the NY Metro area. In addition, I am featured in a commercial that runs on NJ12.”
• He is a dog. “I’m a very easy going dog and enjoy doing most anything but do have a few personal favorites:”

• Hunting for bed bugs
• Playing with my fellow Inspector and best dog friend Simon
• Riding in the car with the windows down
• Beating Simon in Guitar Hero
• Doggywatching
• And any activity outdoors, like fishing or boating.

There you go. Roscoe, just don’t go getting corrupted for a “meal ticket,” like some of those other dogs.