Furry detectives will be tracing scents in the region for a week in May as bloodhounds and their handlers take part in the 2013 spring training seminar of the National Bloodhound Association. 

The seminar, sponsored by the National Police Bloodhound Association and hosted by the Cattaraugus (N.Y.) County Sheriff’s Office, will take place from May 4 to 10 and take place at Allegany State Park, Salamanca, N.Y., as well as at various locations and buildings in the downtown area of Bradford. 

President of the association Doug Lowry said, “We set up scenarios in town of events such as armed robberies and burglaries. We utilize a lot of storefronts. We’ve been holding the seminars here for about 12 years. The businesses and state park are well acquainted with us and very accommodating.” 

Lowry expects to have about 70 to 75 people participate. With the maximum amount of handlers at 80 for a seminar such as this, he called it a “strong turnout in today’s economy.”

As part of the seminar, emphasis will be placed on actual field work, with day and night training, as well as classroom instruction for new handlers.

Lowry said that the state park is an ideal place to hold the seminar because of its size. The park’s 65,000 acre size allows 16 different areas of the park to be sectioned off so the dogs do not search the same territory. 

Both handlers and their bloodhounds become certified yearly as part the seminar.

Lowry said that this seminar is the largest event of its kind planned for this year and that a smaller convention typically occurs in the winter in North Carolina. Participants often come from all areas of the country, traveling as far as from California to take part in the seminar. 

For more information visit www.npba.com